White-headed bird seen in Garsdale UK (1 Viewer)

[wsprhino]

Does anybody know what bird this is? I encountered it yesterday but can’t find anything that looks like it. Looks a bit like a blue tit or a coal tit - especially the beak, but the colours are all wrong.

I saw it in Garsdale in The Yorkshire Dales, UK.

Thanks
Steve

 

[Essex Tern]

Nice, a Robin with leucism.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Absolutely; the trick to identifying plumage variants is to start with shape; this is a Robin shaped bird. Once that has been identified, all the non white parts are exactly the right colours, even down to a tiny red patch.

 

[wsprhino]

Thank you. Both.

 

[wsprhino]

Is this common. I have never seen anything like it before.

 

[Farnboro John]

It's often seen in Blackbirds - mainly because normally they are all black so it's very obviously wrong - but occurs occasionally in many species. It can be the whole bird or just part, as here. It doesn't have to be the head and it doesn't even have to be symmetrical.

John

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

It's often seen in Blackbirds - mainly because normally they are all black so it's very obviously wrong - but occurs occasionally in many species. It can be the whole bird or just part, as here. It doesn't have to be the head and it doesn't even have to be symmetrical.

John

I have only once before seen something like that in European robin (Nature reserve Wahner Heide near Cologne, Germany; in 2003 I think ), but rather commonly in Blackbird especially in cities

 

[delia todd]

Hi wsprhino and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. Gosh, I've never seen a Robin with any leucism, let alone that much! We would love to have that one in the Gallery: Britain & Europe you could either post it in that Category, or the one for Albinos and other odd birds. It's your choice.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[wsprhino]

Hi wsprhino and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. Gosh, I've never seen a Robin with any leucism, let alone that much! We would love to have that one in the Gallery: Britain & Europe you could either post it in that Category, or the one for Albinos and other odd birds. It's your choice.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

I posted it in the thread with the link in your post : Britain & Europe

hope that is ok.

I had hoped to get a better picture but the cloud was very low so not an abundance of light. Also, the bird didn’t hang around very long in any one place.

 

[delia todd]

Yes, that's fine posting in that Category. Thanks.

Birds never seem to hang around in one place and you can be sure they'll go and hide behind something, or fly off just as your about to click LOL You name it they'll do it!

Hopefully he'll become a resident and you'll be able to pick him out easily when there's other Robins around.