Feather carotenoids of an interspecific hybrid flamingo

Abstract

1. 1. Earlier studies had shown that the American or Caribbean flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber, stores in its flight feathers only three carotenoids, all red, ketonic derivatives of β-carotene: canthaxanthin (4,4′-diketo-β-carotene) in major proportions, with phoenicoxanthin (3-monohydroxycanthaxanthin) and astaxanthin (3,3′-dihydroxycanthaxanthin) in secondary amounts; whereas the Greater or European flamingo, P. antiquorum, similarly stores, in addition to those three keto-carotenoids, a fourth one, phoenicopterone (4-keto-α- carotene). 2. 2. An interspecific hybrid bird, derived from an adventitious mating between a European male and an American hen, inherited, when adult, its mother's capacity to achieve conspicuously rich carotenoid pigmentation of feathers over its whole body (in contrast to the sire's general whiteness of body plumage, save for red lower body and wing-flight feathers); but it retained its sire's ability, lacking in the American species, to mobilize phoenicopterone from blood into feathers.