I’ve been seeing this bird at my feeder for the last couple weeks. It has a white ‘cap’ on its head and I’m wondering if this condition might be transmittable to other birds that feed here or just another version of the species.
Hi Kate, Not to worry! This Common Grackle is not sick. Sometimes, birds may have an abnormality in the deposition of pigment in their feathers, which is most often genetic. When there are patches of white, this is called Leucism, or Pie-baldism. You can learn more about unusual color variants here: https://feederwatch.org/learn/unusual-birds/#color-variants
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Hi Kate, Not to worry! This Common Grackle is not sick. Sometimes, birds may have an abnormality in the deposition of pigment in their feathers, which is most often genetic. When there are patches of white, this is called Leucism, or Pie-baldism. You can learn more about unusual color variants here: https://feederwatch.org/learn/unusual-birds/#color-variants