Greater Spotted Woodpecker chick. White

[ricwine]

The garden cocunut fat feeder is a favourite with the woodpeckers. They visit at regular intervals from dawn thru till dusk daily.

Today I saw 2 with one almost white but with the red cap and black feather patterns. Kind of like a regular gsw reversed. Probally about 90% white. Its mother fed on the coconut feeder then fed the chick some of fat. The chick was bigger than Mum ! which suprised me. With still a slight fluffy air about it. Mum flew off and then came back a few minutes later. She fed 'her' a big beetle. I assume the chick was female because it was missing the male back of head markings. But who knows . So are almost all white chicks unuesal ? and how old do you think it was ?.

A real treat for me though. Hope to see again and again

Richard . Cambridgeshire

[HanDiiMaNz]

Originally Posted by ricwine

The garden cocunut fat feeder is a favourite with the woodpeckers. They visit at regular intervals from dawn thru till dusk daily.

Today I saw 2 with one almost white but with the red cap and black feather patterns. Kind of like a regular gsw reversed. Probally about 90% white. Its mother fed on the coconut feeder then fed the chick some of fat. The chick was bigger than Mum ! which suprised me. With still a slight fluffy air about it. Mum flew off and then came back a few minutes later. She fed 'her' a big beetle. I assume the chick was female because it was missing the male back of head markings. But who knows . So are almost all white chicks unuesal ? and how old do you think it was ?.

A real treat for me though. Hope to see again and again

Richard . Cambridgeshire

Hello,

Hmm, well I think it could be an albino? And about the fledgling being bigger than its mother well, usually blackbird feldglings are somewhat bigger than their parents for reasons which I do not know. Somewhat could probably tell me why?

Thanks, HanD

[feathered-friend]

hi Richard

we had greater spotted woodpecker mum and juvenile in the garden yesterday too.

They were the same size, it wasn't till I got out the bins that i realised one was a juvenile. The day before we had 3 green woodpeckers all of a similar size too. Last year it was the same, so I think they are a good size even though they may have just fledged.

IN the GSW's I think all have the red cap at first, whether male or female, but not sure if the red at the back develops later in the male.

About the colouring I dont know, maybe its unique, try and get a photo!