Unusual Bird: Female house finch with partial leucism
Additional images:
This partially leucistic female house finch began showing up at my backyard feeders a few weeks ago. There does not appear to be any bullying towards her from the other house finches, at least not any more than what normally occurs from a bird looking for an already occupied perch. The white on her face is not symmetrical on both sides of her head – it is primarily on the left side, giving somewhat of a “Phantom of the Opera” mask type of appearance to her.
Categories: Leucistic birds
Species: House Finch
Comments
9 comments on “Unusual Bird: Female house finch with partial leucism”
I have had one of those birds in my yard since December of last year. Another one just showed up yesterday. The first one only eats seeds from the ground and the second one eats from the ground and both feeders. I have black oil sunflower seeds in one feeder and wild bird food in another. I live in East Texas. I have named the first one Baby Eagle. Don’t know what I’m gonna name the second one. So cute!
My first sighting of the white headed house finch in southern NH on January 4, 2018. How commen is this bird? I have never seen one before!
Possible sighting on 28 January 2022 in Pace, FL (approx. 13 miles NNE of Pensacola).
Feeding on ground with other small birds (chickadees, sparrows, munia, etc.). By the time I got the camera, he/she was gone.
Wi try to add photo.
Possible sighting on 28 January 2022 in Pace, FL (approx. 13 miles NNE of Pensacola).
Feeding on ground with other small birds (chickadees, sparrows, munia, etc.). By the time I got the camera, he/she was gone.
Will try to add photo.
I have been seeing a mysterious white-headed bird at my feeder on and off for several weeks now in February 2022 near Grand Rapids, MI. Looking at the photos here, I am pretty sure it is a leucistic house finch – its size, brown streaking, and other brown plumage is identical to the other house finches (looks like it could be a male with the normally rosy areas all white) and it feeds and flocks with them, at the feeder and on the ground. Never heard of this phenomenon until I googled it today.
Just saw at feeder what appears to be a Leucistic House Finch in Terry Mississippi. To fast to get a picture. But, after some investigation on the web it appeared to be the bird at my feeder. 9:20 Central time at a feeder with Black Oil Sunflower seeds
Just spotted a bird that looks almost identical to the female with partial leucism posted by Terry at my feeder here in St. Louis, Missouri. I thought perhaps it had vitiligo, and some internet searching led me here. I am more of a hummingbird person, so I don’t know much about house finches or their behavior, but given their lifespan perhaps it is the same bird!
I only noticed her yesterday, but so far I haven’t noticed aggressive behavior towards her by the other birds. Been spotted at two of my feeders, one a sock feeder with wild finch food and the other with the Kaytee Birder’s Blend which includes black oil sunflower seeds.
I first observed a white house finch in my yard in Castle Rock Colorado in 2024.
I did not see it over the winter and assumed it migrated south.
It returned in March 2025 and I have been seeing her on most days (I observed her with nesting material in her bill) and she tends to appear with a normally colored male. She is not albino since there is color in her eyes and bill, but is otherwise all white.
I have a female on my feeder with an all white head. It’s pretty cool to see!