UPSC Articles
Animal in news: Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Biodiversity
In news
- A rare Rose-breasted Grosbeak was recently found in Pennsylvania, USA.
- It is a bird with both female and male plumage colours (sexually dimorphic).
- It derives its name from the male of the species who have a ruby-red triangular marking on a white chest and dark black wings with pink wing pits.
- The females are much less showy, with no patches on its beige body, brown wings and yellow wing pits.
- Breeding habitat consists of cool-temperate open deciduous woods in eastern North America. They migrate to tropical America in winter.
- IUCN status: Least Concern.
Important value additions
Gynandromorph
- Bilateral gynandromorphism means the bird is both male and female, with one ovary and one testis.
- This occurs when two sperms fertilize an egg that has two nuclei instead of one, due to which the egg develops chromosome from each sex.
- It is often seen in insects but gynandromorphic birds, snakes, lobsters and other animals have also been observed.
