Strange bird in Garden

charl · #1 (**permalink**) 08-07-2011, 04:38 PM

I live in West Yorkshire and my garden backs onto fields. This morning I saw a blackbird with a white head otherwise totally black and the head totally white. Never seen a bird like that before it was just eating insects on my border.

aeshna5 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-07-2011, 04:43 PM

What you've seen is a partially leucistic male Blackbird where the dark pigment- melanin- is lacking in the head area.

Welcome to WAB!

charl · #3 (**permalink**) 08-07-2011, 05:50 PM

Thank you I am sure I will find it interesting. Also today saw a Red Kite take a bird from a tree in a built up area whilst driving it was just at the roadside - spectacular dont know how I didnt crash the car

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 08-07-2011, 07:24 PM

Yes as Aeshna suggests most likely Leucistic, however could the head have actually been bald? When blackbirds undergo their postbreeding moult, some individuals lose a lot of feathers on the head at once leaving the head rather bare showing the pale skin under the feathers. Additionally they can lose condition/feathers through the breeding season.