Albino Bird

[Hideandwatch]

I noticed this Albino bird just as I was getting ready to leave for work. I tryed to get outside but it quickly exited my yard when I went out. So, I ended up having to shoot thru the glass of the kitchen window. Not the greatest shots, but I am happy to have captured them. I think the other bird was it's mate, anyway they seemed to be together. And the other bird was gathering dead weeds and such for a nest. Anyone know what the other bird is? And if the Albino isnt the same type of bird, anyone know what it is? Comments welcomed as always.

 

[clutchkiller]

Very, very, very cool

They are Brown Thrashers Toxostoma rufum, and finding one in that light morph is an awesome catch. I would say they are probably mates, but couldn't tell you which is male and which is female.

Great catch Hideandwatch!

 

[Hideandwatch]

Thanks Paul! Hopefully I will be able to get some better shots (from outside) now that I know I have this bird around. I know where the tree is that the darker one was taking the nest building materials to, so a possibility that I may be able to get some shots of the family. I posted some shots in the bird forum to help clarify whether it is Albino or Partial. So I will be watching there for replies. It's things like this that restimulates my desire to get the cam out...LOL...

 

[DEERSLAM]

Very nice

He may not be a true albino if birds are like mammals and need to have red eyes to be a true albino. Any hindsight on that clutch?

 

[Hideandwatch]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DEERSLAM @ May 27 2007, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

He may not be a true albino if birds are like mammals and need to have red eyes to be a true albino. Any hindsight on that clutch?[/b]

The following is what I have gotten on it, dont exactly know what this means, so maybe Clutch will have some hindsight on it.

this looks like a leucistic Brown Thrasher. I'm sure a pure albino would show a pink bill, pink legs and feet, and pure white plumage rather than the grayish partial feathering.

that info someone posted on a bird forum about the shot. Thanks for the comment Deerslam!

 

[clutchkiller]

Well I'm sure there are albino birds, but most often when you see a light colored bird it is a "morph" in color. It happens most often with hawks and other raptors. Sometimes it can go the other way and you will see a bird with a very dark colored morph (light morphs are much more common than dark morphs). Sometimes birds like cardinals and blue-jays will have blotches/patches of white feathers and it is called something else (I can't remember what it is right now).

Hideandwatches light colored brown thrasher isn't an albino, you would say that it's a thrasher with a light morph... still a super cool find! I've never seen or heard of one anywhere.

edit- When you see birds like this, they do not change their color like some birds do during their breeding time.

 

[leod]

Good pics, I can't help with the ID's but I like the way you did the pic in pic

 

[wapiti]

Awesome capture! Getting some high quality images of that one should be worth something for you!

Congrats!