A leucistic bluebird in a healthier population

Last year was dreadful as we had lost about 90% of the population and only a little more than a dozen pairs survived to reproduce. This year, we can already see the start of a rebound. From only 74 chicks reaching 13 days old in 2021, nesting efforts have tripled in 2022, with 246 chicks reaching that age! The population isn't where it used to be; nonetheless, this year's numbers make us optimistic.

Another observation that brought us some excitement was this female with an oddly discolored plumage. She was not albino because her feathers were not white and her eyes were not red. Bluebirds have two kinds of feather coloration: structural and pigmentary. Pigmentary coloration includes black, brown, orange, and red. Structural coloration is the blue or iridescent colors created by light refraction. This female was abnormal in her structural coloration. Although she still presented some blue wing feathers closer to the body, most were this unusual beige color. She did not have any abnormality in her pigmentary coloration, though, because her breast was red as one would expect from a female bluebird. We do not know if this abnormality is genetic or caused by a parasite or some old injury. Her partner and offspring were normally pigmented so if this condition is genetic, it would require that both parents exhibit this abnormality to pass it on their offspring.