Beware the Mutant Crows!

From a distance, I first thought this was a hooded crow* (Corvus cornix), bonte kraai in Dutch, because of the lighter bits, but on closer inspection, the pattern was all wrong:


Olympus Stylus 1s, 300mm, ISO200, f5.6, 1/125s

It turned out to be a "normal" carrion crow (Corvus corone), zwarte kraai in Dutch, with leucism, which is:
"a genetic mutation causing partial loss of pigmentation, resulting in white feathers, but not affecting the eyes. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in multiple types of pigment, not just melanin."

Animals with leucism don't have to avoid bright sunlight and they often are aggressive against non-leucist animals, so, unlike albino animals, they have no problems surviving in the wild.

Apparently, we have a small population of these in a nearby forest.

Beware the Mutant Crows!

*For comparison: @leylar posted a photo of a hooded crow here.

H2
H3
H4
3 columns
2 columns
1 column
Join the conversation now
Logo
Center