10/13/2026
Wow, what an incredible bird captured in late September at the station!
While this striking bird appears to have been dusted in powdered sugar, in truth she appears this way because she is lacking pigment in some of her feathers. This is called partial luecism, and it is caused by a generic mutation. Leucism is a rare occurrence because it is typically selected against; the reason for this is it can mean a bird is less camouflaged from potential predators, and additionally, it results in less durable feathers. Pigment provides structure, and therefore pure white feathers are rarely seen on small birds and most birds with white flight feathers, are tipped in black to prevent breakage at the tips. You’ll notice this bird already has a lot of wear on those white flight feathers.
This particular bird is most notably lacking pigment on her head including the collar area across the throat, and on some of her wing feathers. This creates beautiful ghostly tracers as she flies, but may also cause her some serious feather structure problems in the future. We wish this beautiful Maggie well on her journey!
*All birds handled with appropriate training and required permits
Photos: Jason Kitting Jason Kitting & Julie Prentice Julie
