Leucism in Wild Birds

Have you ever seen a bird that looks like a certain species, but the colours are too pale or white, either in patches or all over? Found a bird who looks like an albino, but the eyes are dark?

Leucism is when a bird has reduced pigmentation, preventing melanin from being properly deposited in their feathers. Birds with leucism can appear to be paler or white in colour, either in patches or entirely. Affected feathers tend to be weaker and less robust, wearing out faster than feathers with the proper amount of melanin. This can hinder their flight ability and make them more susceptible to predators. The white or pale patches can also impact their ability to camouflage in the environment, which also makes them more vulnerable.

Leucistic birds can be more difficult to identify, as they may be lacking a distinctive marking or colour pattern. They are still identifiable if you remember to look at the size, shape, and behavior of the bird as well as what birds are nearby as leucistic birds often flock with others of the same species. Birds that are leucistic can also lose the white when they molt, though this is not guaranteed.

While leucism is often confused for albinism, they are not the same thing. Leucism may sometimes be referred to as ‘partial albinism’, but it is not. Albinism is when the affected animal has reduced or no melanin in their entire body, including the skin and eyes. While both albino and leucistic birds can have all white feathers, birds with albinism will always have a pink or red beak, feet, and eyes while leucistic birds have the same colour eyes, feet, and beak as non-leucistic birds of the same species.

Birds and Fall

 

With fall now well upon us, it's the perfect time to look at your seed and backyard feeders to make sure you are prepared for winter. While there are a lot of bird seeds available on the market, there is a far more limited variety that the birds will actually feed on. Seed-eating birds prefer black oil sunflower, white millet, hulled sunflower, peanut halves, nyjer, and cracked corn, though not all birds like them all equally. By using the bird seeds that our local birds prefer, it is easier to keep your feeding area cleaner and attract a variety of species to your backyard.

Many wild bird mixes contain filler seeds such as wheat, oats, milo, and red millet, that our local birds do not eat. These fillers are what the birds are tossing out as they search for the seeds that have the greatest nutritional value they prefer. These discarded seeds create extra work for cleaning up around your feeders and may attract unwanted guests.

For keeping your feeder area as clean as possible, we recommend providing individual seeds in separate feeders, and avoiding the use of mixes. Having only one seed type per feeder helps limit the sorting of your seeds and results in far less waste tossed onto the ground.

The most common seed for backyard feeders is black oil sunflower seed. Black oil sunflower is a high protein, high energy seed that is enjoyed by 70% of backyard birds. Even the little chickadees prefer the black oil sunflower, though it can still make a bit of a mess. When birds are choosing their seeds, they are looking for the most reward for the least amount of effort, so they weigh anything in a shell. If the seed is too light and won't give them a high enough energy return for the amount of work to break into the shell, they toss them. Birds eating anything in a shell will go for the heavier seeds first.

To provide sunflower seed without the mess, and while still attracting the widest variety of birds, chipped sunflower seed is the best choice. This seed has no shell and makes very little mess. All birds eat hulled sunflower seed, but as it is a raw seed without a shell, it absorbs moisture more readily than seeds in the shell. When putting hulled sunflower out, be aware that it can get wet very easily and make sure your bird feeder is well protected from the weather. 

Fall and winter is also when many of the sparrow species start visiting feeders, making it a good time to add white millet to the feeding station. White millet works best in a hopper or tray style bird feeder and not in a tube feeder, as the birds that enjoy it are largely ground feeders and are less likely to use the perches on the tubes. The feeder should also have good coverage to protect against wet weather, as white millet can clump up easily when wet.

If you are using peanut halves, blanched skinless is the way to go to ensure high protein. Roasting peanuts reduces the nutritional value and is less enticing to wild birds. Many backyard bird species feed on peanuts, including chickadees and nuthatches as well as woodpeckers, who will all take the full peanut halves. You can also break the halves into smaller pieces for the towhees and juncos to enjoy. Peanuts in the shell are a common choice for feeding Steller's Jays and squirrels, as they cache them away for winter.

Cracked corn is a less commonly eaten seed, but is preferred by California Quail and popular for feeding ducks. It is best to use a ground feeder, as they are easy for the ground birds to feed on and helps keep the area cleaner than if you placed the corn directly on the ground. Sparrows can also feed on cracked corn but only after it has absorbed a bit of moisture to soften it for easy digestion.

Making sure to put out the type of bird seed that your backyard birds prefer will provide you with a wide variety of birds and plenty of activity to enjoy throughout the winter.

Good Birding!