Is the white wing-stripe of male House Sparrows Passer domesticus an indicator of the load of Mallophaga?

Male House Sparrows Passer domesticas have a white wing stripe that is not present in females, and is displayed during courtship. Chewing lice eat white barbs preferentially, which suggests that the presence of white barbs depends on the presence and abundance of chewing lice. Therefore, the white wing stripe might be an indicator of the load of Mallophaga. In this work, albino birds appeared to have more chewing lice than non-albino birds, although differences were marginally significant. Moreover, males with longer wing stripes had lower Mallophaga load. Therefore, white plumage may be an honest signal of Mallophaga load. This might be used by females to choose mates that are more resistant to chewing lice.