White Peacocks And The Genes That Decide Their Destiny

Peacocks are unmistakable. With their sparkling blue-green colouring and uniquely patterned feathers, you can’t mistake them for any other bird. But all peacocks are not the same. And the differences, as it turns out, can change a peacock’s destiny.

What makes a white peafowl different from colored peafowls? Are they albinos?

White peafowls are like any other peafowls, with one key difference. They are born with a genetic mutation that affects their color. This genetic condition, known as leucism, is either caused by defective pigmentation cells that cannot produce their natural coloring or because, for some reason, melanin and other pigments responsible for coloring cannot move to the bird’s feathers.

So does this mean that all white peacocks are albinos? Not quite. While albinism is also a genetic condition that affects color, it is not the same as leucism. Albinism causes a complete absence of melanin that affects not only a bird’s feathers but also its skin, feet and eyes. Meanwhile, a white peafowl’s eyes, skin and feet remain unaffected.

How rare is the white peafowl?

Incredibly rare. Leucism is a recessive condition, which means a peafowl can only inherit it if both parents carry the leucistic gene. If only one parent is leucistic, the child will not be leucistic itself but may be a carrier. A carrier can pass it on to their children if they mate with a leucistic peafowl or a carrier.

But it is not enough to have two leucistic parents. Leucism may be inherited, but the extent of it can vary between parents and children. A leucistic peafowl is not necessarily all white. It can have patches of white feathers between its colored fur, a condition which is also known as piebald.

Furthermore, birds with white patches are more visible to predators, so their chance of becoming adults and having children is less than an average bird’s odds.

Along with being easily visible, leucism, unfortunately, can also make a bird an easy meal. The condition can make a bird’s feathers brittle and weak, making flying difficult. While peafowls aren’t the most frequent flyers, escaping predators and finding food can make flying necessary.

But this isn’t where their misfortune ends. Even if these creatures find ways to outsmart their predators, leucistic birds are often overlooked by other birds when it comes to mating, which makes it less likely for them to pass on the gene.

This all adds up to odds so low that it is believed that it is almost impossible for a white peafowl to exist in the wild. The theory is that leucism emerged in peafowls kept and bred in captivity, where these birds faced no danger from predators. Most white peafowls exist because of human intervention and conscious breeding between white peafowls.

Can other animals have leucism? Can humans?

Absolutely. Although more common in birds and reptiles, like snakes and lizards, there have been cases of leucism in amphibians and mammals too. One famous example is the white lion.

Humans, too, can have leucism. Commonly known as vitiligo, this condition is more easily observed in people with darker-colored skin, even though it can affect anyone from any race or gender. While, like the white peafowl, people with a family history of the disorder are more likely to develop it, some autoimmune diseases can also make a person more prone to it.

Vitiligo has, for many years, been a reason for bullying and depression, especially in brown and black societies, where the disorder is more noticeable. But anyone who has white patches on their skin should think of the white peacock. It, too, suffers from being an easy prey and is often rejected by its peafowls. Yet, despite this, it still displays its feathers proudly, even when it’s surrounded by its beautiful peers. If this magnificent creature does not care for the opinions of others, neither should you.