Mutant Blackbird...

I've just been out and about with my camera...i spotted this blackbird with white neck..As i have been an Ornithologist for many years..i can assure you its a 100% british blackbird..never have i seen anything so strange.
My apologies for the poor quality of pic..i had one shot at this from a distance..so a crop was needed.
In the pics you will see a blackbird taken on my yard wall...then the one taken today..
Has anyone else seen anything the same...

Fukishima radiation?

Hi OP,

You can find some information about this here, its called ALBINISM and can be quite common amongst Blackbirds :

www.rspb.org.uk...

Kindest respects

Rodinus

reply to post by Rodinus


Many thanks for the link..I must admit i was a little bit shocked, having never seen anything like this..

reply to post by union_jack


Hey bud-I have one of those in my garden,but its not just the neck-its more speckled all over,but the same thing causes it I guess.
It was explained to me that it was Albinism,as was mentioned above in this thread.
Where are you in the UK?
I am in North Wales,and its the only speckled blackbird I have ever seen.
BTW,I also called mine a "mutant"like you did!
Yours is a much better photo than mine though.

Here he is:


And this was my thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Kind of looks like the same genetic pigmentation expression seen in piebald animals like snakes, horses and dogs. I believe it has something to do with Amelanism and Albinism.

Amelanism

Piebaldism

I think it's natural, just rare. In the reptiles trade, piebald pythons are extremely common today because of selective breeding. In the wild these sort of creatures are at a disadvantage because of coloration and often times they are infertile, or have other defects such as blindness or deafness.

reply to post by ZiggyMojo


I wondered if they were at a disadvantage-my black and white blackbird does seem to hang out with other regular blackbirds,but I think it may be an easier target for predators(we have hawks and buzzards nearby too).

reply to post by union_jack


Now you jogged my memory. I had totally forgotten about this. A couple years ago I saw a completely white black bird among all the other little black birds hanging out in the Walmart parking lot. I can't remember if he was albino or what but come to think of it, I don't recollect little beady black eyes. Anyway, there were a couple other birds hanging out with him (or her) that had blotches of white on their black. Must have been offspring. But can you believe it? COMPLETELY WHITE. I was so shocked to see that!