Rare Whitewing Sparrow (1 Viewer)

[digitalbirdy]

Hi everybody. I am new to this forum and have only just got into 'birding' this year. As it is a bit different I thought you might like to see the bird responsible for my sudden extreme bird interest.

Although I have always loved birds and put out food for them. I always assumed it was different flocks that came and eat as they passed by.
But this year the House Sparrows that nest in our eaves produced one baby with white wings.

http://www.t1000.co.uk/camera/sparrow_whitewing038_vse.jpg
(Whitewinged Sparrow - this not a retouched or trick photo!)

Now this was very exciting for me, because as he/she is so very easy to spot - even in flight, I realised it was the same group of birds that come daily to feed outside in my back garden.

'Whitewing' and friends visit 3 to 4 times a day and as I can recognise them I feel so attached and protective. Trying to keep neighbours cats away is proving quite a challenge.

Is this a common genetic defect?
Will he/she produce offspring with white wings?
If so will they stay around next year too?

I hope you enjoyed the photo.

Many thanks everyone. - Adrian

 

[MarkHows]

Hi everybody. I am new to this forum and have only just got into 'birding' this year. As it is a bit different I thought you might like to see the bird responsible for my sudden extreme bird interest.

Although I have always loved birds and put out food for them. I always assumed it was different flocks that came and eat as they passed by.
But this year the House Sparrows that nest in our eaves produced one baby with white wings.

http://www.t1000.co.uk/camera/sparrow_whitewing038_vse.jpg
(Whitewinged Sparrow - this not a retouched or trick photo!)

Now this was very exciting for me, because as he/she is so very easy to spot - even in flight, I realised it was the same group of birds that come daily to feed outside in my back garden.

'Whitewing' and friends visit 3 to 4 times a day and as I can recognise them I feel so attached and protective. Trying to keep neighbours cats away is proving quite a challenge.

Is this a common genetic defect?
Will he/she produce offspring with white wings?
If so will they stay around next year too?

I hope you enjoyed the photo.

Many thanks everyone. - Adrian

I have never seen it in sparrows before, but it is quite common in blackbirds and crows and I have seen some gulls.

This phenomenon is known as Leucistism it differs from albinism in that pigment is not entirely absent and it can often be patchy as in your sparrow.


This sparrow should suffer no adverse effects other than being more easily spotted by predators.

hope that helps



Mark

 

[dbradnum]

I would've called this a partial albino - the pigment appears entirely absent in the white area.

I thought leucistic birds tended to just be very very washed out (very short of pigment, but not lacking completely), like the following examples:

Redpoll
Canada Goose
Willow Warbler

There's a helpful article here. Hope this helps...

 

[buckskin hawk]

It is very pretty! Great pic thanks for posting it.

 

[digitalbirdy]

I have never seen it in sparrows before, but it is quite common in blackbirds and crows and I have seen some gulls.

This phenomenon is known as Leucistism it differs from albinism in that pigment is not entirely absent and it can often be patchy as in your sparrow.


This sparrow should suffer no adverse effects other than being more easily spotted by predators.

hope that helps



Mark

Yes I was worried about that. He (I think) is so easy to spot - even in flight.

 

[robinm]

Hi Adrian,

I have seen leucistic sparrows like this before in my garden. See below for a not very good quality photo.

I would've called this a partial albino - the pigment appears entirely absent in the white area.

This has been discussed on previous threads. Most scientists would say that the term albino can only be applied to all white birds where the soft tissue like skin, eyes, etc lack pigment. However, the term partial albino in birds is well understood and is easier to spell

 

[Katy Penland]

This has been discussed on previous threads. Most scientists would say that the term albino can only be applied to all white birds where the soft tissue like skin, eyes, etc lack pigment. However, the term partial albino in birds is well understood and is easier to spell

And easier to say, too! :t: Generally, leucism applies only to feathers and can occur either as faded colors or, more often, as white patches of feathers anywhere on the bird. Albinism applies to soft tissues. But "partial albino" seems to be an accepted lay term for any lighter-than-normal pigmentation of skin or feathers.

 

[Eider-Duck]

Hi Adrian,

During the summer I had my own "little whitewings" sparrow visiting the garden, it was fascinating to watch his progress, from seeing him being fed by his mother to him becoming independant (he caused me a fair bit of anxiety too! especially when he was wandering up and down the path and then later because he used to sit on the seed tray for 10 minutes at a time!) unfortunately I have not seen him for a while so I don't know if he survived into adulthood, We do however have another sparrow with white wings and white tail feathers and she has been visiting on and off for about 6 months.

 

[digitalbirdy]

Whitewing Sparrow Lifecycle ?

Thanks everyone for your response on 'my' whitewing sparrow.

Can anyone please tell me, will the little chap mate and stay around permanently. Or do they eventually go off to find a mate?

And is it likely that this 'defect' would be passed on to its young?

Adrian

 

[London Birder]

hi all ... have a look at some of the birds here >

http://www.zestforbirds.co.za/bizarre.html

fascinating

 

[Jodd]

Whitewinged Sparrow

Hi everybody. I am new to this forum and have only just got into 'birding' this year. As it is a bit different I thought you might like to see the bird responsible for my sudden extreme bird interest.

Although I have always loved birds and put out food for them. I always assumed it was different flocks that came and eat as they passed by.
But this year the House Sparrows that nest in our eaves produced one baby with white wings.

http://www.t1000.co.uk/camera/sparrow_whitewing038_vse.jpg
(Whitewinged Sparrow - this not a retouched or trick photo!)

Now this was very exciting for me, because as he/she is so very easy to spot - even in flight, I realised it was the same group of birds that come daily to feed outside in my back garden.

'Whitewing' and friends visit 3 to 4 times a day and as I can recognise them I feel so attached and protective. Trying to keep neighbours cats away is proving quite a challenge.

Is this a common genetic defect?
Will he/she produce offspring with white wings?
If so will they stay around next year too?

I hope you enjoyed the photo.

Many thanks everyone. - Adrian

Hi Adrian

Great photo. Couple of years ago I noticed a very distinctive creamy coloured sparrow in my garden and since she arrived I have a little group visiting that have varying amounts of white on them. I can only assume they are all from the same family.

Regards
Jo

 

[digitalbirdy]

Hi London Birder, thanks for the links to those photos, yes very fascinating.

Hi Jo, thanks for sharing that info, I shall look forward to the sparrows sibblings arriving in the future now! (hopefully)

 

[wes philly]

house sparrow with white edged wings

Hi Adrian:

Here in Philadelphia, for the first time in my life, I saw a male house sparrow with white-edged wings this morning. I then looked for what people had posted for Google images, which led me to your photo and this thread. The tail feathers were not all white on the bird I sighted, but just completely edged with white. He really stood out. Afraid I don't have a photo--I bird with binoculars and haven't bought a telephoto camera yet. That may have to change.

 

[Larry Lade]

The below quote is taken from something from "*BTO":
http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/behaviour/plumage/leucism

"A common misnomer is ‘partial albino’ – this is not possible since albinism affects the whole plumage of a bird, not just part."

*The BTO is "The British Trust for Ornithology"

 

[Andy Adcock]

The below quote is taken from something from "*BTO":
http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/behaviour/plumage/leucism

"A common misnomer is ‘partial albino’ – this is not possible since albinism affects the whole plumage of a bird, not just part."

*The BTO is "The British Trust for Ornithology"

True, even bare parts lack pigmentation in albinos and they will have pink eyes and legs.

Partial leucism is the condition, as Larry states, partial albinism is not possible so a bird is either an albino, wholly or it's not an albino at all.

Andy

 

[Tiraya]

The "issue" with the phrase partial albino is that albinism is not partial, it is always complete. It's similar to saying a brown bird is "partially black" on the basis that it is just dark coloured, but it isn't black because its...well, brown.

But I mean people know what you mean by partial albino, so hence the word "issue" being placed inside in quotation marks!