Emily tells me, "After years of regular backyard
birdwatching, we have spotted our first case of Leucism! This Junco was foraging with a number of
other Juncos under the feeders in our yard, but they spooked much more quickly
than this little guy (not a good tendency for a bird who already sticks out
with atypical plumage)... it kept hopping around long after the other birds
took to the bushes."
She added that the bird remained around at their home for
only about an hour. One would guess that considering the date and the uniqueness
of this individual, who surely would have been noticed earlier in the season,
that it was a migrant individual who stopped by for a snack before continuing
to the north the subsequent night. Remember that leucism is essentially a
reduced pigmentation as normal colors still occur over much of the feathers. It
is not the same condition as albinism, a mutation that prevents melanin from
being produced at all. This bird is probably very healthy and only looks different
than all of the rest typically do.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation Technician
Photo by Emily Fitzpatrick
Conservation Technician
Photo by Emily Fitzpatrick
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