Date: 9/8/25 11:21 am From: Pete Sole <pete...> Subject: [MBBIRDS] Leucistic Chickadee (photos) and more
Hi birders,
For a few weeks now, we've been tracking a "leucistic" CHESTNUT-BACKED
CHICKADDE in our garden. "Leucistic" refers to lack of pigmentation of
some of the birds feathers, making it appear partially white. This is
different from being "albino". Albino refers to a genetic mutation
leading to all white feathers and red eyes, at least in in birds. Here
are 2 photos of the leucistic bird in our garden from this morning:
Although the back is mostly white, we still see some black and grey in
color on the face, chest and wings. Additionally, the eye color is
black. Given that this bird has some pigmentation (face, neck, wings,
eyes, etc.) it would be classified as "leucistic".
To learn more about leucistic vs albino birds you can checkout these
sources:
