Below is the link to my new Bird Table News Forum. I have just started it so we can chat birds, bird care and bird feeding
Bird feeding and bird watching can be a solitary hobby so we can get together here – from all over the world and chat.
Because, since January 2008, I’ve been seeing a blackbird with white tail feathers I’ve become interested in them and have found out some details and of the reasons why this happens.
The name for a bird with white feathers is ‘albino’. Partial albino means a bird has some white feathers on some portions of its body.
Often other birds do not like birds that are different to them and birds will kill a bird like this (this could be why I never see this white tailed blackbird in among a group of blackbirds)
Here are some reasons why blackbirds (and other birds ) sometime have white feathers :
A bird that is naturally white such as a swan, is not classed as an albino bird
If you have any other information please let me know.
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In December I was lucky enough to get this comment from the USA about a black bird that had some white tail feathers.
We have a blackbird with several white tail feathers visiting our feeder here in NJ today. Regards Nelson
I emailed Nelson back to make sure NJ stood for New Jersey. The reply was
NJ does stand for New Jersey. Today’s sighting is ther first time we’ve seen this particular bird with the the white tail feathers.
I think it’s interesting that white feathered blackbirds span the globe.
I’m interested in the blackbird I see so I decided to have a category for my white tailed blackbird so I can keep tabs on when I see him.
I have not seen either of our blackbirds that have some white tail feathers for a few weeks.
I get about ten blackbirds a day now! I think it’s because I put cheese out. They are sometimes like a small flock flitting round.
The thrushes are always in the background as well.