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Grackles with white tail feathers (1 Viewer)

Martha E.

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Hi, I found this site by a Google Search for Boat Tailed Grackles with white tail feathers. I have sited this bird twice in recent days in the Albany, Ny area. It looked to me that at least one other person has seen this same phenomena, but I can't seem to find my way to this thread. So, help. Martha in Albany
 
Hi Martha and a warm welcome to you from the staff here at BirdForum.net.

I have come across two Boat-tailed Grackles this past weekend with white tail feathers. One, just had one white tail feather and the other had two white tail feathers. They were obviously juveniles and I couldn't help but wonder if they were siblings.
 
Hi, Martha!

This site can be a little overwhelming at first. I hope you'll take your time to get acquainted and find your way about. With all the knowledge here, it's worth it.

I've never even seen a Boat-tailed Grackle, much less one with white tail feathers! Bet it's gorgeous! At any rate, there's a good chance that it's a leucistic bird -- meaning that only parts of it are white (an albino is pure white, with pink or red eyes, no pigment at all).
 
Hi Martha,

Welcome to BirdForum. What you have seen is called leucistic or partial albinism - depending on how it is, exactly. It is due to a reduced amount of pigment in the feathers, usually the dark melanin (actually, it is also melanin that causes the shade of the skin in humans; from dark to very pale). This phenomena is fairly common in various species of New World Blackbirds, among them Boat-tailed Gracklers. There have been many threads on BirdForum on this particular subject. Even if it is fairly regular, it still is a very interesting thing to witness. You probably also know the opposite; i.e. individuals with too much melanin. This is called a melanistic individual, the best known example being the panther.

Try searching for "leucistic" or "albino" here:

http://www.birdforum.net/search.php?

For two particularly striking examples have a look at these links:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=17134

http://www.rubythroat.org/AlbinoMain.html
 
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Hi Martha

Always interesting to see leucistic or albino birds but as I think Boat Tailed Grackles near Albany would be very exceptional as they are only locally found on the coast as far north as SW CT - It's probably a Common Grackle you are seeing in Albany - if your certain of your ID that's a pretty rare phenomenon in itself regardless of the birds plumage.

Luke
 
Common Grackel with white tail feather

This week spotted a juevenile Common Grackel with a white tail feather. First for me. I guess it is fairly common. At first I thought the tail feather was missing. Location 29.7281,-95.1513, Time 3/2/06 18:03.
 
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