CONGENITAL NEUROPATHY AND DILUTION OF FEATHER MELANIN IN NESTLINGS OF URBAN-BREEDING NORTHERN GOSHAWKS (ACCIPITER GENTILIS)
A pair of northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) breeding in a public park in the city center of Hamburg, Germany, raised 12 healthy and five aberrant offspring between 1996 and 2000. Aberrant nestlings (three males and two females) had pale silver-blue plumage and displayed severe locomotor disorde...
Published in: | Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine |
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Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
2004
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1638/02-031.1 |
Summary: | A pair of northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) breeding in a public park in the city center of Hamburg, Germany, raised 12 healthy and five aberrant offspring between 1996 and 2000. Aberrant nestlings (three males and two females) had pale silver-blue plumage and displayed severe locomotor disorders. Histopathologically, the defects were characterized by adendritic feather melanocytes and mild degeneration of the cerebellar white matter. Epidemiologic results were suggestive of a hereditary autosomal recessive defect, which may have originated from close inbreeding during the foundation of Hamburg's urban population of northern goshawks. |
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