Albino or Leucistic Woodpigeon

A pure white bird landed on my bird table this morning. Pigeon type. At first I thought it was a feral pigeon but it appeared too large, slimmer in appearance with a longer neck. Could this be a leucistic or albino Woodpigeon I wondered. This identification seemed more probable when a regular plumaged Woodpigeon landed on the adjacent fence and I was able to compare the two birds in close proximity to each other.

Everything pointed to Woodpigeon as the correct ID apart from the pure white colour.  Albinism is another genetic condition that can turn a bird's plumage pale but there are distinct differences between albino and leucistic birds. Leucism affects only the bird's feathers and typically only those with melanin pigment - usually dark feathers. A leucistic bird with different colours may show some colours brightly, especially red, orange or yellow, while feathers that should be brown or black are instead pale or white. Some leucistic birds however can lose all the pigment in their feathers and may appear pure white. It's a complex puzzle.

So, leucistic or albino? I really don't know...

   

Garden Birds - Changing diseases

With increasing numbers of bird species visiting gardens it is possible that there might be negative implications for disease transmission. Species that would not normally meet in close proximity are now mixing at garden feeding stations, offering opportunities for diseases to diversify. For example, it is likely that the sudden appearance of finch trichomonosis in 2005 resulted from the mixing of finch and pigeon species. The increase in numbers of birds congregating in gardens might also provide opportunities for diseases to spread more rapidly. The new strain of avian pox virus causing severe skin lesions in Great Tits can be spread via biting insects or through direct and indirect contact that could occur at garden feeding stations.

Washing garden feeding equipment regularly with disinfectant or dilute bleach solution is essential to help prevent the spread of diseases. Some are spread by direct contact between birds and others can be transmitted from bird to surface to bird. I use a feeder hygiene brush produced by ChapelWood. It is ideal for removing stubborn stains on wild bird products, has an extra long handle and extra strong bristles and well worth the £2.99 cost.

The ubiquitous Woodpigeon