Bilateral gynandromorph rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) [x]

eastern goth barn owl 🌙 † 🖤+ rose breasted pastel cockatoo 💖🍓💕

they’re girlfriends. ✨

all you are is what you see

day 1

rose-breasted grosbeak

this rose-breasted grosbeak was banded by powdermill bird banding during the fall of 2005, during a random wild bird banding of the area. participants were surprised to find the bird to be a bilateral gyandromorph - one side of the body is male, the other female. this is typically due to an event that happens in early mitosis, where one of the dividing cells does not split its sex chromosomes in a typical fashion. interestingly, most birds only have one functional ovary on the left side of the body, so this individual could still hypothetically produce offspring.

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.”  

~Angie Weiland-Crosby

Saw some cool guys at a nature preserve place

Chestnut-sided Warbler and Rose-breasted Grossbeak! 7/17/22 Tenants Harbor.

BOTD: Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Photo: Mark Moschell

"In leafy woodlands of the East, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak often stays out of sight among the treetops. However, its song -- rich whistled phrases, like an improved version of the American Robin's voice -- is heard frequently in spring and summer. Where the range of this species overlaps with that of the Black-headed Grosbeak on the Great Plains, the two sometimes interbreed."

- Audubon Field Guide

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

bilateral gynandromorps are some of my favorite animal mutations, especially with birds! there's some photos of a red breasted grosbeak that looks extremely cool if you haven't seen it yet

Yes! Did you mean rose breasted grosbeak? I posted one a while back. People seem to really love bilateral gynandromorphs, it’s a crowd favorite, and it’s easy to see why! These are not the best pictures, but here’s a different one in breeding colors, so the difference is more striking. [x] [x]

Interesting coloration on the bird in the back.. what’s up with his cheeks? Why are they white?

I saw a rose-breasted grosbeak today, so I had to paint it! This painting probably took me less than an hour total, since the bird’s color scheme is very simple.

This is also the first bird drawing I’ve done in a while. But I still haven’t lost my touch!

rose-breasted grosbeak! <3

A couple weeks ago I found a male red breasted grossbeak hopping along my yard with an injured wing, we watched him for a week climbing up smaller trees and bushes for the night so he wouldn't have to worry about predators, and he actually recovered very well! He had a female grossbeak that seemed very buddy buddy with him the whole time and he's been flying really well (although I can always spot him because he still has trouble being precise in his landings)

Today while observing the red breasted grossbeaks i noticed the underside of the female that liked to hang out with the previously injured males wing was red, and it seemed odd to me because I had never noticed that before. Turns out upon closer inspection that this is an example of gynadromorphism! I haven't caught a picture just yet but Google dosent dissapoint

So. Happy pride month to the intersex bird in my backyard :] and her lovely boyfriend.