As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday, 24 December 2012

Leucistic robin has 'Santa beard'


‘Santa Robin' is timely leucistic bird
December 2012. This remarkable bird has been reported to the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Abnormal Plumage Survey.

The timely ‘Santa Robin', which was seen by Ian Wilson in Derbyshire, is a leucistic bird. This inherited disorder causes parts of a bird's plumage not to have their normal colour and to appear white, often affecting areas around the face and on the wings.

Most common in blackbirds
It's not just Robins that are being spotted through the BTO Abnormal Plumage Survey. In total, over 1,500 birds across more than 35 species - ranging from Blue Tit and Chaffinch to Buzzard and Coot - have already been recorded in the UK's gardens. Blackbirds with unusual white feathers have been logged most often, with members of the crow family, including Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Rook, also featuring highly.


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