Diseased Bird: Female Northern Cardinal with white circles around eyes
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This female Northern Cardinal showed up at my feeders yesterday 3/4/19 and returned again today. I don’t know if this is a sign of disease or if it is just an anomaly. She acts quite normally and seems to be accepted by all the other Cardinals in the group.
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7 comments on “Diseased Bird: Female Northern Cardinal with white circles around eyes”
I saw precisely the same today, also a female, affecting both eyes, at VA arboretum near Boyce. 11/27/20
My best guess is leucism. Leucism is a condition where an animal has a reduced amount of pigmentation, resulting in white or lighter-than-usual fur/feathers/skin.
I agree.
I noted a female cardinal today 12/22/2022 at 8:30 am , with white rings around her eyes
I just saw a male cardinal with this exact thing but just around one eye/ He is otherwise acting normally, eating, flying. I will try to get a photo if I can
I also have a male cardinal at my feeder with one eye circled in white. March 22, 2025. An anomalie for sure, but seemingly harmless. I wonder if it is genetic.
I have a female one here in northwestern New Jersey! Comes to the feeding area regularly and seems normally integrated into the group.