Leucistic Starlings (1 Viewer)

[Biscuitman]

In 2019 I had a leucistic House Sparrow in the back garden. Today I had two Leucistic Starlings! Anybody else seen any around? I'm situated in Stonehaven.

 

[maplekong]

I have seen a Leucistic starling! It was in my local allotments, happily eating someone's painstakingly grown grapes (Londonderry is not known for sunny weather) sadly did not get a good photo. I have not seen any Leucistic starlings before or since.

 

[Richard D]

Oddly I was sent a photo of one in Kent on Sunday. Leucistic Blackbirds seem more common.

 

[maplekong]

Oddly I was sent a photo of one in Kent on Sunday. Leucistic Blackbirds seem more common.

Lucky! All we hear everywhere are blackbirds- there must be at least two hundred in our little local park, yet I have never seen Leucistic ones

 

[JTweedie]

Be interesting to see if they're more easily targeted by local predators like Peregrines if you have them.

 

[maplekong]

Be interesting to see if they're more easily targeted by local predators like Peregrines if you have them.

I have seen a pile of downy light feathers in the Inch Lake Wildfowl Reserve, (no other traces of hunter or hunted) where there are several raptor species, but I'm not sure if the hunter was a fox, or what species the poor bird was. I would imagine them more susceptible to ground-dwelling predators, but not exactly targeted by birds of prey- any flying bird would be obvious for species that tackle their prey mid-flight. Perched birds would be a different story, if anyone else knowns anything?

 

[Biscuitman]

Be interesting to see if they're more easily targeted by local predators like Peregrines if you have them.

We get a Sparrowhawk ocassionally.

 

[Biscuitman]

I have seen a pile of downy light feathers in the Inch Lake Wildfowl Reserve, (no other traces of hunter or hunted) where there are several raptor species, but I'm not sure if the hunter was a fox, or what species the poor bird was. I would imagine them more susceptible to ground-dwelling predators, but not exactly targeted by birds of prey- any flying bird would be obvious for species that tackle their prey mid-flight. Perched birds would be a different story, if anyone else knowns anything?

Never saw the leucistic sparrow again, but I would imagine the off white birds like the Starlings are easier to spot by predators and are therefore more at risk.