An extremely rare bird has been spotted, half female and half male

2024-01-09 2024-01-09T14:29:55Z

ArabiaWeather - There was something quite special about the bird that amateur ornithologist John Murillo saw that day in the Don Miguel Nature Reserve in Colombia, about 10 kilometers southwest of the city of Manizales .

Although there are many eye-catching species, there is a completely unique feature about this bird, which is a type of wild green honeyeater, known as Chlorophanes spezia.

The feathers on the left side were green, which is the distinctive color of females of this species, while the feathers on the right side were blue, which is the distinctive color that distinguishes males.

Morello had discovered this unique bird, and shared the discovery with fellow enthusiast, evolutionary geneticist Hamish Spencer, who is Professor of Zoology at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Professor Spencer, who was on holiday in Colombia at the time, said:

“It was very exciting, and bird watchers will probably go most of their lives without seeing a gynandromorph, so I was lucky to benefit from John's discovery.”

Incredibly Rare Half-Male, Half-Female Bird Caught on Camera https://t.co/hwUKR8RhXl

— ScienceAlert (@ScienceAlert) January 1, 2024

A rare discovery... bilateral gynandromorphism in the green honeyeater from Colombia

This phenomenon is extremely rare among birds, and in fact, Professor Spencer lacks any similar examples from his native New Zealand. It relates to bilateral gynandromorphy, a unique condition in which a male character is evident on one side of the organism, while a female character is evident on the other. The other.

Professor Spencer made this observation in an article on bilateral gynandromorphy in the green honeyeater (Chlorophanes spezia) from Colombia, published in the Journal of Field Ornithology , which he co-wrote with Murillo and other authors.

This phenomenon is known in a large number of animal groups, and usually appears in those species that are characterized by sexual dimorphism.

The current discovery is only the second example of gynandromorphism recorded in this species over more than a century, and in a statement from the University of Otago, Professor Spencer confirmed, saying:

“Gynandromorphism occurs in animals that exhibit both male and female characteristics in species that are typically sexist, and plays an important role in understanding sex and sexual behavior in birds.”

The statement added:

Bilateral gynandromorphy, as in this unique example (male on one side and female on the other), shows that either side can be male or female, which suggests that this phenomenon, as in many other species, arises through error “In cell division during the production of an egg, followed by double fertilization by two sperm.”

While this condition has been discovered in insects, butterflies, crustaceans, spiders, and even lizards and rodents, the researcher points out that this phenomenon is not due to hormonal differences in the body, but rather to the chromosomal structure of neighboring cells.

Observing honey birds

For 21 months, the researchers monitored honeybirds in the Don Miguel Nature Reserve, which constitutes an excellent observation site thanks to the establishment of a bird feeding station where fresh fruit and sugar water are provided at this site, which contributes to attracting diverse species of birds. In this context, the authors point out In their article, they point out that various types of birds can be seen in mixed flocks in this reserve.

What was striking was the presence of a unique bird that continued to exist for at least 21 months , as its behavior was very similar to the behavior of other honeyeaters in the wild, and although it fed mainly on the fruit provided daily by the reserve’s officials, at one stage, it was It prevents birds of its kind from approaching its food without a known reason.

Although there is no evidence of the opportunity for this unique bird to reproduce, as it was shunned by its own species and other birds, it appears that its influence has continued, and despite leaving no offspring, the bird has left an unforgettable mark on the animal kingdom.