In last week’s CvilleBuzz, I commented that the “blonde finch” Jill Smith had seen at her feeder may have been an albino house finch. Another loyal CvilleBuzz reader, Marilyn Norford, then emailed her observation that it was not an albino, but a leucistic bird. Below she explains:
Leucistic and Albino Birds
Albinism is another genetic condition that can turn a bird’s plumage pale, but there are distinct differences between albino and leucistic birds. Leucism affects only the bird’s feathers, and typically only those with melanin pigment, usually dark feathers. A leucistic bird with different colors may show some colors brightly, especially red, orange, or yellow, while feathers that should be brown or black are instead pale or white. Some leucistic birds, however, can lose all the pigment in their feathers and may appear pure white.
Albinism, on the other hand, affects all the pigments, and albino birds show no color whatsoever in their feathers. Furthermore, an albino mutation also affects the bird’s other pigments in the skin and eyes, and albino birds show pale pink or reddish eyes, legs, feet, and a pale bill. Leucistic birds, on the other hand, often have normally colored eyes, legs, feet, and bills.
How to Identify Leucistic Birds
While leucistic birds will show irregular plumage coloration, it is still possible to identify these birds easily. Many birds with leucism still show a faint wash of color in recognizable patterns on their feathers, even though the color may not be as strong as would be typical. Of course, piebald leucistic birds still show other colors and only have patches of white feathers, but their plumage can easily be used for identification aside from those unusual feathers.
Thanks Marilyn. Now we know the difference between albino and leucistic birds.