Description

House finches are a common sight at our bird feeder, but this guy is a little different. When I first spotted the large white patch on his cheek my first thought was conjunctivitis, a common house finch ailment. However, on closer inspection I realized that it was the natural coloration of his feathers. This condition of random white splotches is know as leuticism. In this instance, the white splotches only appeared on his left cheek and the top of his head, but in some cases the whole body of the bird is white.

Category

Week 6: Unexpected at the Feeder

Species

• House Finch