Leucistic Red-billed Chough in S Lleida [Chova piquirroja leucística en el sur de Lleida]
Leucistic Red-billed Chough ( P.pyrrhocorax ). Mas de Matxerri, Castelldans, Lleida. 4.2.2011 (© Ricard Gutiérrez) Alerted by fellow birdwatcher Sergi Sales who had been watching the bird along the week, on the 4th of February 2011 afternoon we payed a visit to the Mas de Melons nature reserve, an steppe area in S Lleida comarque of Garrigues. When heading to the Matxerri valley of such reserve, we saw a flock of >40 Red-billed Choughs ( Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax ) which were foraging in the area. One of them, near the main group but somewhat to the edge of it, was showing the characters Sergi had told us: large milk & coffee coloured wings with otherwise regular coloured bare parts and black body. An aberrantly coloured Chough. While approaching the flock, two Red-legged Partridges ( Alectoris rufa ) flushed and soon afterwards the choughs followed them. Only in-flight record shots could be obtained (Emma Guinart, Ricard Gutiérrez). Leucistic wing feathers included secondaries, ...