Leucism, or a bird of a different feather

This is the second winter that I've seen this faded beauty at the feeder. As a matter of fact, she/he may live in the garden since Goldfinches and House Finches are year round residents in our gardens.

When birds have unusual or faded plumage coloration they're called leucistic. They have a genetic mutation and it can affects them differently. Some have white patches on their colorful plumage, while, others look like they've been dipped in bleach or have faded in the sun. It makes identifying them quite difficult! Which is why I am calling this beauty a finch, although, I think it might be a Goldfinch! For that matter, maybe it's two different leucistic birds, but, I think it's the same one!

February 2015

The leucistic Goldfinch that is visiting the winter feeders is lovely, but, my understanding is that these birds have a difficult time in the wild. The mutation that prevents pigments from coloring their feathers might make it difficult for them to attract mates. After all, colorful plumage is part of many of bird mating rituals. There's also a possibility that their feathers might not be as strong as a "normal" pigmented bird; or, that they might not be as well insulated for the winter, making survival in a harsh world especially difficult.

So far this cutie pie is surviving at Clay and Limestone. There's plenty of food, water and winter cover. It only has to hide in the trees and stay out of the way of the hawks that like to cruise above Clay and Limestone! That's another problem with which leucistic critters have to contend. They don't have protective coloring that their normal plumage would offer.

Keep feeding the birds and watching for unusual plumage.
xoxogail


More posts about birds at Clay and Limestone:
Oh, How I love you little Nuthatch
Winter is for the birds
At the birdfeeder
Garden Visitors
I do it for the birds
The Tufted Titmouse

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Owls In The Garden

The resident owls woke me in the middle of the night with their hooting under the full moon. Their distinctive hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo identifies them as Great Horned Owls (here for sound).  It could be a hunting pair, or a single trying to find a mate or a simple warning to stay away from my territory!

My spirit soars when I hear them calling. The neighborhood lost a large track of land to an ugly shopping center and I mourned the loss of meadow, woodland and stream for all the displaced critters. The resident owls have never left, but, I do worry that one day they will not live in my garden. I would miss their hoo-hoo-hooing.

source A Brendan Lally photo of the Great Horned Owl

As a gardener and wildlife enthusiast I am well aware that the circle of life in nature and on a smaller scale in my garden is one of predator and prey and owls play a huge role as predators of small mammals.  With their keen eyesight and excellent hearing they can swoop down on unsuspecting mice, voles, rabbits and other critters.  But, they also are known to predate birds, bats and even skunks and possums. Scarcely anything that moves is safe from this owl and when you consider that it has 200-300 pounds per square inch of crushing power in its talons you can understand what a powerful predator it is! (The average adult human male has about 60 pounds per square inch in his hands.)

The Great Horned Owl is one of the most widespread and common owls in North America and is found in the Arctic tundra, tropical forest, the desert and in many of our suburban backyards. Given enough food, water and available nesting and roosting sites the Great Horned is very adaptable.  It's possible that a mated pair may live nearer  your house than you might know!  I've read that if you go out on a winter night and hoo-hoo-hoo loudly you might have one call back to you!

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."