Unfortunately, in the case of hummingbirds, most all white individuals will
seldom live through their first year. Disease and predators may take them more
easily, but the lack of pigment in the flight feathers is their biggest
weakness. Melanine (the dark pigment that albinos cannot produce) gives a
feather strength making it less susceptible to wear, breakage, and degradation
from parasites (mostly feather lice and keratin-digesting bacteria). Dark
feathers are also have thicker keratin and are less brittle. Note that
long-distance migrants have dark wings (Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager,
Snow Goose, etc.). Friction against the air significantly wears feathers.
Hummingbirds spend much of their waking hours in the air. White feathers will
wear much more quickly and can more easily get broken. The wear is extreme
enough that these hummingbirds usually become unable to fly before reaching
molt at their first year. Flightlessness, of course, is a death sentence to a
hummingbird. The same would be true for other birds so dependent on flight,
such as swifts or frigatebirds.
Dan Gleason
Owner, Wild Birds Unlimited of Eugene
Ornithology Instructor, University of Oregon
dan-gleason@xxxxxxxxxxx
On Jul 11, 2016, at 10:44 AM, Shawneen Finnegan <shawneenfinnegan@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Albino hummingbirds are well known to occur. The fact that they are white and
come to feeders makes them excellent photo subjects that get passed around on
the internet. Ruby-throats and Anna’s seem to be the most photographed.
Shawneen Finnegan
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