UK, England - Bird ID help please (1 Viewer)

[sunseasnow]

I’m very new the bird watching, so still learning my birds. I’ve seen this bird for the past two days in our garden. I think it’s making a nest nearby. Any help in IDing is much appreciated!

 

[wheatearlp]

Hi,
This is a leucistic Blackbird.
Leucism isn't that unusual in certain species, Blackbird being one of them. However, a more or less full white head is something I've not seen that often.
More usually it's just a few head feathers, perhaps up to about 50% on occasion. Scattered white feathers in the wings or body is also often seen.

 

[sunseasnow]

Hi,
This is a leucistic Blackbird.
Leucism isn't that unusual in certain species, Blackbird being one of them. However, a more or less full white head is something I've not seen that often.
More usually it's just a few head feathers, perhaps up to about 50% on occasion. Scattered white feathers in the wings or body is also often seen.

Cool! Thank you so much!

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

You can read more about leucism here.

Dictionary G-L - BirdForum Opus

www.birdforum.net

 

[Allen]

Leucistic or partial albino?

 

[Jinac]

Hum...same thing no ?
Leucistic is sometimes improperly call "partial albino"...I'm wrong ?

 

[Southern Viking]

I'm not not up to date on it no doubt, but I'm pretty sure something can't be partial-albino, but can be lacking melanin in some areas, which is leucistic (partial or not)

 

[wheatearlp]

A quick trawl of t'internet gives these three statements/opinions on leucism vs. partial albinism.

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

A quick trawl of t'internet gives these three statements/opinions on leucism vs. partial albinism.

Yeah, there's a lot of publications with contradictory statements about albinism and leucism.

Not the most important subject to me, although I'm planning to write a short article to summarize all this when I'll have time. To make it short : albinism cannot be partial, because it is a condition where the bird (individually) is genetically unable to produce any dark pigment.

 

[Julie50]

My (perhaps rather limited) knowledge of biology would agree. What we generally call “albinism” is genetic and would lead to no pigment; in a bird totally white feathers and pink eyes. This bird has neither so would indicate leucism. I have heard various suggestions as to the cause including a poor diet due to eating “human food”, although this was mainly in relation to corvids!.

 

[Andy Lakin]

I have had 4 or 5 different leucistic male blackbirds in the garden over the last couple of years all with only the head affected. I would love to know why the head area is affected more regularly than other parts.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Two different blackbirds, one in March 2014 and the other in March 2023, photographed only 100-200m apart. I would take some convincing that the second bird isn't a descendant of the first, so I'd reckon that leucism can be passed on, maybe skipping a generation or two. The second bird, which I first saw as an adult in April 2022, was still there in summer 2024, but seems to have departed this world since then. I look on with interest to see if I can find a third one at the same location in the next year or two.(The white on the wing affected only the right side in both birds).

 

[Allen]

Leucistic or partial albino?

Hope noone took that as me being contradictory...was just interested 🙂

 

[Julie50]

Interesting! Also consider that it maybe that some areas are genetically or environmentally prone to leucism.

 

[delia todd]

Hi sunseasnow and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. You may be interested in looking at the definitions in our Opus Dictionary. This is a link to Leucism: Dictionary G-L - BirdForum Opus, which has links to entries for Albinism and Melanism.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[delia todd]

Two different blackbirds, one in March 2014 and the other in March 2023, photographed only 100-200m apart. I would take some convincing that the second bird isn't a descendant of the first, so I'd reckon that leucism can be passed on, maybe skipping a generation or two. The second bird, which I first saw as an adult in April 2022, was still there in summer 2024, but seems to have departed this world since then. I look on with interest to see if I can find a third one at the same location in the next year or two.(The white on the wing affected only the right side in both birds).

For a few years I had some male Blackbirds with odd white feathers, some more than others. I've not seen any for about 8 years now.

 

[Jinac]

Interesting fact (probably already known here), in french "the white blackbird" is an expression to designe a rare and generally happy thing.

 

[Andy Lakin]

https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jav.01778 some very inaccurate info here

 

[wheatearlp]

https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jav.01778 some very inaccurate info here

Anything specific to look at? I started to read it, but suffered brain-fade after about five minutes.

 

[Andy Lakin]

Anything specific to look at? I started to read it, but suffered brain-fade after about five minutes.

The second half ish mentions what affects the prevalence of the condition and the possible causes. Totally agree about the more complex maths/ equations. Interesting that they found that urban birds are more regularly affected as are older birds.