a normally colored blue jay feeds a pure white offspring. it’s likely the young bird has leucism, a reduction in pigmentation. birds with abnormal coloration rarely make it to adulthood – many young birds don’t make it to their first year of life anyway, but added pressure from predators and rejection from other birds can affect birds with plumage differences.
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this white large-billed crow was spotted in shimane, japan. crows with such drastic variations in color aren’t entirely uncommon, and have been seen not only in japan but in different crow species all over the world. it’s likely this bird’s color results from leucism, a genetic mutation that causes a decrease in melanin and other pigments.
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this white steller’s jay was seen in boulder county, colorado. the bird is not albino – it was seen gradually gaining more and more white feathers over time. suggested causes are illness, trauma or a mutation.
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these unusually pale eastern bluebird siblings have leucism, a genetic mutation that causes a reduced production of pigmentation.
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today's bird 