Last winter a white (leucistic) goldfinch was a regular at our feeders. Is he back?
This bird was on one of the finch feeders in my front yard last week. He’s whiter than last year’s bird, but goldfinches molt every fall, so it could still be the same bird. Unfortunately I was only able to snap photos through the screen door so the images aren’t very clear.
Last year’s bird was picked on regularly at the feeders so hard to photograph because he kept getting chased off by the other birds. This one was much feistier.
I shared last year that “leucistic birds are lacking the correct amount of pigment in their feathers, but their eyes, feet and beak usually look normal for their species. This is different from an albino bird that would also have pink or red eyes, beak and legs.”
If this is the same bird I’m pleased to see he thrived over the last 7 months despite all the bullying. If this is another leucistic bird, maybe I’ll see two at my feeders this winter!