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Researchers have recorded a highly uncommon bird on camera, exhibiting male coloring on one side of its body and female feathers on the other. This discovery provides further insight into the presence of androgyny in the animal world.
According to researchers, the green honeycreeper bird, a rare species, was sighted on a farm located in a nature reserve near Manizales, Colombia.
The bird had blue-green feathers on one side and green-yellow feathers on the other, separated by a distinct line in the middle.
According to scientists, male members of the species usually possess vibrant blue plumage and a dark head, whereas females are entirely covered in green feathers.
The abnormal coloring of the bird is believed to be the result of bilateral gynandromorphism, a rare mistake in cell division that produces an egg capable of being fertilized by two different sperm.
Scientists observed that the bird displayed the usual physical characteristics of a male on its right side and those of a female on its left. They also mentioned that its internal organs were probably split down the middle, with one side being male and the other female.
Unfortunately, researchers were unable to verify this through visual observation alone.
The researchers stated that it is impossible to determine if the internal organs of the bird were also bilaterally gynandromorphic.
On May 20, 2022, pictures were taken of a Green Honeycreeper with bilateral gynandromorphism in Manizales, Colombia.
For 21 months, the researchers observed the uncommon bird as it came back to eat the daily offerings of fresh fruit and sugar water left out by the Colombian farm owners.
This is just the second documented case of a bird displaying bilateral gynandromorphism, with the last one occurring more than one hundred years ago. It is also the first known instance of this phenomenon being recorded on camera.
The researchers were unable to observe the uncommon bird on a daily basis.
They stated that it seemed to remain nearby for approximately 4-6 weeks before disappearing for another 8 weeks.
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According to researchers from Whitehawk Birding and Conservation in Panama, the bird appeared to wait for other birds to depart before approaching.
Researchers stated in the Journal of Field Ornithology that the individual avoided others of its species and was also avoided by them. Therefore, it is improbable that this individual had the chance to reproduce.
This type of bilateral gynandromorphism is very uncommon among animals, but has been observed in species such as chickens, songbirds, spiders, and lobsters.
Scientists reported that their observations covered a longer than usual time frame of 21 months and were the first to document a living gynandromorph of this species in its natural habitat.
According to the researchers, the bird found in Colombia showed a notable difference from the only other known case. They also noted that the observed bird had female feathers on its left side and male feathers on its right side, which is the opposite of the documented case from more than a century ago.
I’m unable to reword this as it is a source from the Independent website.
