Are Albino Amazon's Hiding Amoung Us?

SailBoat

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As part of today's road trip with little traffic and not much else happening. I began thinking about the different ranges that the different Amazon Species exist within. One of the Books that I have been reading (last night), presented a photo of each of the Amazons and their ranges. What caught my eye was that their are groupings around Beak Coloration. With the majority sporting dark Beaks another group sporting lighter 'corn' color Beaks. A group that sported a variation between those two, i.e. their Beaks contained both colors. Then there was this other group that had a very light color almost clear Beak.

In more closely looking at this specific species, this very light colored Beak was also noted as the color of their toe nails. With even closer inspection, I noted that the eyelashes are very light white, but leaning toward clear.

So, Clear Beak tip with a light pink tone as the Beak becomes larger and closer to the face. Clear Toe nail tips with a light pink/white color as it becomes larger and closer to the foot. And lastly, Clear to white eyelashes.

Sure sounds like Albino traits to me!

Are Double Yellow-Headed Amazons' Albinos?


By the way, has anyone else noticed that 'Spiders' are running all over the Parrot Forums? Seems that any 'Parrot' based Web Search now presents Threads and Posts from this Forum!!! As one of our member's clearly pointed out to another; You're Posts are forever! And, with the clamoring of 'Spiders' it sure is true!
 
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GaleriaGila

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I did a Google on "albino amazon parrots" and was quickly overwhelmed!

Meanwhile, ummmmmmmmmm... I also Googled "spiders on internet" and now I know what that is! Wow!
 
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SailBoat

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Wading though the information myself.

Regarding Web Spiders; I enter this thread here at 11:20 am today, and it is already part of of Google Web search for this subject title!
 
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SailBoat

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With further searches, the definition is allowing for an answer to be formed.

Double Yellow-Headed Amazons are not true Albinos. To be a true Albino requires that with everything else, the Parrot's eyes are light red /pink in coloration. This very specific requirement locks DYH Amazon's from being classified as Albino. Documentation Source: The Audubon Society.

That's all well and good, but it does not closes the door that these specific Amazons are a bit different from the genus Amazona. These differences could result from varying degrees of the dilution of normal pigmentation over time and those changes have become static in this specific species.

Once the DNA studies conclude and the evaluation of the data begins to provide greater insight, the origin of this specific coloration maybe known.

It is creepy to watch this present in real time on the internet, as it is supplied by the Spiders!

Your comments, opinions, etc....
 

davefv92c

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Lilly has a beak that is very light, old pic I will look at her nails tomorrow
they look dark in this pic
davefv92c-albums-pics-picture17605-p1010014.jpg
 

Kentuckienne

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So interesting! I never thought of such a thing. Will you keep posting more info as you find it? I will enjoy it from a distance, got nothing useful to add.
 
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SailBoat

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Lilly has a beak that is very light, old pic I will look at her nails tomorrow
they look dark in this pic
davefv92c-albums-pics-picture17605-p1010014.jpg

My first Amazon was a LCA and she became such a sweetheart. Still miss that Little Lady.

Thanks for the memories and photo!

LCA's could be one of the transitional Amazons between the Corn colored Beak and toe nail Amazons and the Clear /white that DYH Amazons present. The reasoning is they are a lighter corn color than others. Their northern range could also plays to that possibility.


Came across a bit more information regarding DYH Amazons and the 'few' traits they share with a Partial Albino and lastly a True Albino.

The reality of their being a variation is weakened by the definition of Albinism: The lack of ability to deposit Melanin fully in 'ALL' feathers. Or, Partial Albinism: The ability to deposit in at less some of the feathers.

With Albinism, regardless of the level. Color in the Beak and toe nails is not effected. That said, clear /white eyelashes are part of the the definers of Albinism.

There is another term used in the Albinism writings and that is: Leucism, which also includes Partial Leucism. However, this term seems to be used more commonly within the Breeder (trade) discussions and not commonly found in Studies, Reviews, etc...

At this point, a conclusion is far from sight and further travels in this trait being connected to Albinism is show strong sights of being fruitless.

That said, this Genetic Change in Visual Color Differences of the Beck and Toenails is clearly presented in the Family Amazona. The strong presents of the transition between either very light to very dark or, very dark to very light present in both history and the present Family Amazona viewings.

This variation by specific species also presents by region. This presents an opportunity to consider other factors, for example; available distribution of minerals in the different regions, etc...

So for now, the search continues...
 

davefv92c

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My first Amazon was a LCA and she became such a sweetheart. Still miss that Little Lady.[/QUOTE]
funny you say that she is being a tough nut to crack for me out of the flock. reaching into her cage at any time is a no,no. she will only step up on the finger if I'm rescuing her from the floor. she will only step off her cage to a sleeved arm and goes for the shoulder and nips my ear then I have to walk her to her cage to get her off. so I have cut off the arm and shoulder thing i wait for her to hit the floor off her cage where she will get up on my finger today I put her on a chair back where all the other birds like to hang out and was able to get her to step up on my finger and transfer from hand to hand and it worked so maybe I'm making some progress.
 
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SailBoat

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You will note that I stated 'Became' a sweetheart. The first year was heartbreaking had my fingers looked more like well worked crew toys. When she choose to allow me into her world, that was when things began to change. She is also the reason that I so strongly believe in never giving-up on an Amazon.

And, back to the Thread!

Minerals provide the base chemistry for color. Without specific minerals, the Parrot's body will not be able to create specific color.

When one combines all the different ranges of all the different species of Amazons. One quickly comes to understand that the vast range from far South America to far Northern Central America and into the deep Southern edge of North America, plus all of the Island Amazons. It becomes apparent that the variations in Food Types and Mineral Outcrops becomes huge.

At this point, this next step requires an understand of what the family Amazona needs 'as a group' to product the base colors of the family and then, the known availability of those minerals.
 
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SailBoat

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[FONT=&quot]As I had left this discussion last, I had determined that DYH Amazons are not Partial Albino nor are they Truly Albino.

The dominance of their near clear Beak and nails is clearly part of their species description and a clear separation from other Amazon species. That is not to say they are different only a clear separation.

So, why do they have a different colored Beaks and Nails:

The Beak color of Hook Bill Parrots is based on predominance of the protein 'Keratin' native color, which is a dull, slightly yellowish (corn). The thicker (greater the pigment volume) the darker this yellowish tone. With darker to black Beaks an additional pigment is found and like above, the thicker (greater the pigment volume) the darker this Black tone. Variation in the location of the pigment, its tone and distribution accounts for Beaks with varying shades of Gray to Black.

[FONT=&quot]With D[FONT=&quot]ouble[FONT=&quot] Yello[FONT=&quot]w-Headed Amazons; [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]very little of the natural 'Keratin' pigmentation is present, the Beak and nails contain very little pure 'Keratin,' which is w[FONT=&quot]hy they [/FONT]present whitish /clear tones.

Source: Kirk Janowick, Wild Life Biologist


[FONT=&quot]Ano[/FONT]ther Fact of Hook Bill Beaks found during this search:

So, is there any reason for variation in Beak and nail coloration as part of Hook Bill Parrots:

Further (The Beak), thin 'Keratinized' layers of the Epidermis know as the Rhamphotheca are know to contain concentrations of pigments primarily Melanins and Cartenoids. These pigments are believed to contain structure that reacts to Ultraviolet segments of light. Since Birds are known to also see Ultraviolet it is believed that their presents may support identification much like color patterns of their feathers, especially the flash feathers of their Wings and Tail feathers.

This may add to the statement: Birds of a Feather Tend to Flock Together! Based on the above that statement it should likely be expanded to include the Beak's Pattern as it presents in Ultraviolet.[/FONT]
 
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davefv92c

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Sailboat love your posts I learn a lot. I have come to the conclusion with Lilly her's has just got to be cage aggression because she will now step for me anywhere but the cage and no longer on the arm since she figured out a way to a close by table which I did on purpose due to her cage height and the sound I hear when she decides to fly and hits the floor. she will also let me pet her and rub her neck sometimes but still lunges at times when my hand is heading her way. I have let her catch my finger and the thing is, she will grab a hold but not really bite down, I have taken this as a warning and stop at that point. she is getting better and I would never give up on any of them
 
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SailBoat

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Sailboat love your posts I learn a lot. I have come to the conclusion with Lilly her's has just got to be cage aggression because she will now step for me anywhere but the cage and no longer on the arm since she figured out a way to a close by table which I did on purpose due to her cage height and the sound I hear when she decides to fly and hits the floor. she will also let me pet her and rub her neck sometimes but still lunges at times when my hand is heading her way. I have let her catch my finger and the thing is, she will grab a hold but not really bite down, I have taken this as a warning and stop at that point. she is getting better and I would never give up on any of them

Happy to hear you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy providing them.

Sounds like she is doing a good job of training you and you are doing an ever better job of 'hearing' what she is trying to tell you!

85% of Bite Pressure Training is the Human's need to understand that our Parrots use their Beak to communicate with us. A hard bite, we haven't gotten the point yet!

Thank-you, for Never Giving Up!
 
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SailBoat

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When I started this Thread, I was searching for an answer to the very clear difference between my Double Yellow-Headed Amazon (DYHA) and say a Yellow-Nape Amazon (YNA) or a Blue-Fronted Amazon (BFA) when it came to the coloration of their Beaks, legs, toes and nails.

This 'group' of Amazons are more commonly known as the Big Hot Three of the Amazon World. Yup, the Mealy is much bigger, but a bunch sweeter in its personality side. But the Big Hot Three are a true 'group' when it comes to their ability to MAX-Out on the Hormonal Scale. Fools that do not back-off when any of this group flairs into a Full-Out Hormonal Rage are rightfully rewarded with physical damage to their person. Commonly, resulting in a trip to Hospital! But that is not the reason for my looking at this specific 'group' of Amazons.

The three of them, sit around a variation in the coloration of their Beaks, legs, toes, and nails. With the DYHA sitting at the far lighter end of color, maybe better to say no color with the YNA on the far other side with dark to very dark and the BFA sitting nearer the center leaning to the dark side.

During this research, it became clear that different regions are home to Amazons with different colorations. It would be easy to state that resulting from differences in minerals found in different regions was likely the 'Driver' to these differences. But that doesn't hold-up as we are now well into at least five to six generations of Amazons now breeding in North America with the same based diet provided by individual's breeding all three of these Amazons. The most recent generation show not change in the color of the Beaks, legs, toes and nails. If specific minerals in specific regions was the 'Driver' changes in (a centering) the colors would be showing-up and its not!

This returns the search back to the individual DNA triggering specific colors for specific species. This suggests that like Feather Color Patterns there is more to the overall choices that have been made as the genus Amazona expanded out in all direction and as they adjusted to the demands of each new region, part of that adjustment was in coloration. Like a statement, I am part of this group and not that group: "Birds of a Feather Flock Together!" So, the combination of physical differences in body, wing, tail and leg size changed, so did the coloration.

If anyone has a better explanation, I'm all ears!
 

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