Unusual Color for a Cardinal
Jan 27, 2017 16:20:28 #
datterson
Loc: Inverness, Florida
My recent visit to Virginia Beach, I visited the Living Museum in Newport News. There they had a white male cardinal. Here are some pictures of him. He can't be let out into the wild because of his color. They said the other birds picked on him.
Jan 27, 2017 16:31:01 #
Jan 27, 2017 17:19:53 #
Doesn't appear that this birds eyes are red/pink, but hard to really tell from the pics. If the birds eyes are normally colored then he is not an albino, but in fact is leucistic. Albino birds lack the natural pigment known as melanin which controls the coloring. This bird ( because of its eye color ) would be able to produce the pigment but would not be able to deposit in its feathers. I recently had an male American Goldfinch visiting my feeding station with the same problem.
Ron
Ron
Jan 27, 2017 17:30:05 #
Jan 27, 2017 18:02:25 #
Jan 27, 2017 20:16:27 #
Interesting subject for our very nice series. It is fortunate that he has found a home where he will be safe.
Jan 27, 2017 20:23:02 #
tramsey wrote:
I wonder why they pick on him just because his feathers are a different color. 
Better build a wall to keep him out of the US!
Jan 27, 2017 20:48:13 #
Jan 28, 2017 06:19:49 #
Jan 28, 2017 09:17:53 #
Jan 28, 2017 11:59:43 #
datterson wrote:
My recent visit to Virginia Beach, I visited the Living Museum in Newport News. There they had a white male cardinal. Here are some pictures of him. He can't be let out into the wild because of his color. They said the other birds picked on him.
Beautiful pictures of an interesting bird. We once had a pure albino cardinal here in New Jersey but I never got any good pictures. It was so albino it was hard to tell if it was a male or female. Even The beak had very little color.
Jan 28, 2017 12:10:34 #
Jan 28, 2017 16:12:04 #
Jan 28, 2017 18:02:48 #
Jan 28, 2017 19:30:11 #
datterson
Loc: Inverness, Florida
Thank you for all the comments. He is a beautiful bird. They said he is so friendly that they worry about somebody hurting him if he gets close to the rail.
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