Unusual Bird: “Scruffy” Northern Cardinal
For two years now, we’ve noticed this off-colored cardinal in our front yard. Last year, we suspected it was a juvenile that was coming into its plumage. This year it appears to be mature, but its coloring is still sporadic. Why could this be?
Categories: Leucistic birds
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One comment on “Unusual Bird: “Scruffy” Northern Cardinal”
Hi, this Cardinal appears to be leucistic. Leucism is a partial loss of pigments, which results in some coloring abnormalities, like the splotches of white on this bird.