Article source for : Partial Albino Black-throated Blue Warbler
A partial albino Black-throated Blue Warbler was observed on May 7, 8, and 9, 2008 at the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area boardwalk. I watched it for a few minutes at about 1:30 p.m. on May 9. I saw at least two photographers snapping photos of the bird, but I'm unaware of any photos being posted on the Internet. It was a fascinating bird to watch.
The markings I remember most about the bird and noted right away included :
* pale pinkish-orange bill and legs
* tiny bit of dark smudging around the dark eyes
* some dark smudging on the top of the head
* sides of head white
* black on the throat
I did not pay attention to how and where the smudging on the top of the head transitioned into the normal dark blue on the back of the bird.
I also did not pay attention to how the markings on the front of the bird transitioned into the colors by the wing.
I believe the bird looked like a normal Black-throated Blue Warbler everywhere except on the head and legs.
I should have been more observant, but the head was striking with the sides of the head white, except for the eye area, and the light-colored pink-orange bill.
The bird was first "reported":http://www.rarebird.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3184 by Rick N on the Toledo Naturalists message board on May 7, 2008.
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Black-throated Blue (including a partial albino with a white head and yellow bill and legs)
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To me, the bill and legs did not look yellow, but that could be our eye differences and the type of sun-lighting we had on our respective days. The bill and legs did appear to be the same color, which, again was a washed out orange or pink or some combination of the two.
Photos and drawings of a normal-looking Black-throated Blue Warbler :
!http://content.ornith.cornell.edu/UEWebApp/images/BID_040902_00518A_S.jpg!
!http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Black-throated_Blue_Warbler_NGM-v31-p312-D.jpg/300px-Black-throated_Blue_Warbler_NGM-v31-p312-D.jpg!
br. And now my attempt at sketching the bird I saw. Obviously, I drew the head too large. Although the actual bird did appear to have a big head because it was white.
!http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/2487555059_4fc11f4508_m.jpg!
Official term for this type of coloration is Leucistic or "Leucism":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism.
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