Mart
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Re:White Robins??? - 2008/09/27 14:27
Assuming that you got your bird spotting correct, this is probably a bird suffering from leucism, this was very common in the seventies with Blackbirds, which are also of the Thrush family as are Robins technically.
This ailment in birds causes a pigmentation problem rather like what has apparently happened to one of the most famous megastars in the world.
It is of note that in the wagtail family of birds, there was a variety called the Pied Wagtail and the White Wagtail. The RSPB, officially recognised this as just one species actually not that long ago and therefore, the "White Wagtail" does not officially exist anymore, probably because of the same pigmentation ailment in that species.
I went bird spotting with a friend and we had a very strange time identifying a Tern, as to which variety it was.
It was generally agreed in the end that it was a Black Tern but had become white in colour.
(before anybody asks, I did not cut and paste this info, sadly or maybe not so, these are things that I know about)
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