FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Re: Leucistic Downy

["Al Warfield" <warfield101@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Roger,

I never heard of "leucistic" until we got a titmouse at home with some unusual 
white feathers. I sent a picture to Bob Reilly, who is a master bander, and he 
said it was a leucistic tufted titmouse, and that he has seen the phenomenon in 
many species. I did look it up and seem to remember that the "partial albinism" 
was referred to as "leucistic" but I will check it again. Sibley has a yellow 
form of house finch listed in his field guide that has a light yellow or orange 
color where red normally is found in males. We had one of those earlier in the 
year. It is just considered an alternate lighter coloration in that case, not 
leucistic.

Thanks,

Al Warfield


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Clapp, Roger 
To: warfield101@xxxxxxxxxxx ; WEalding@xxxxxxx ; va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; 
va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 9:57 AM
Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: Leucistic Downy


Ms. Ealding is correct.  Leucism refers to a dilution of plumage, albinism to 
purely white feathers, a bird with some white feathers is a partial albino

 

(According to technical references anyway)

 

Regards

Roger B. Clapp

Museum Specialist

 

(and it is a good deal less common than partial albinism).

 

 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:va-richmond-general-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Al Warfield
Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 8:33 AM
To: WEalding@xxxxxxx; va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: Leucistic Downy

 

Wendy,

 

I thought leusistic mean't that some feathers that were normally pigmented are 
white. Maybe what you have is really a color variation. Maybe Bob Reilly will 
pick this up and have more info on that.

 

Al Warfield

----- Original Message ----- 

From: WEalding@xxxxxxx 

To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 5:41 PM

Subject: [va-richmond-general] Leucistic Downy

 

At my feeder today, a Downy that was light brown where it would normally be 
black.

 

Wendy Ealding

Powhatan County






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