Two records of chromatic alteration in the White-eared Hummingbird ( Basilinna leucotis )

Plumage color plays a significant role in bird communication, reproduction, and camouflage; thus, color changes may impact different aspects of birds’’ life cycles. Different chromatic abnormalities derived from pigmentary changes have been reported in birds such as hummingbirds, a notable group for their colorful, bright, and iridescent plumage. This work documents two records of chromatic alterations in the White-eared Hummingbird (Basilinna leucotis) from the Nevado de Colima Volcano National Park, in the highlands of western Mexico. The two individuals we report here likely have ino and brown chromatic alterations, both conditions produced by a mutation in the regulation of melanin synthesis. Our records add to other observations of abnormal pigmentation in the family Trochilidae.