Second Winter Bald Eagle With Leucism On Its Forehead, Crown And Throat

Second winter Bald Eagle with leucism on forehead and throat – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/2000, ISO 500, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Yesterday morning I spent some time up in the Wasatch Mountains and I am so glad that I did because I found a second winter Bald Eagle with leucism. When I first spotted the young eagle from a distance I thought it was a normal first winter Bald Eagle but when I focused on it with my camera I took a deep breath because I could then see clearly how oddly beautiful this young eagle is.

The feathers of the forehead, crown and throat should be dark in a first winter Bald Eagle but this unique immature eagle has snow white feathers on its throat and a patch of white feathers on its forehead and crown. The morning light made those white feathers glow against the darker, normal plumage and they also seemed to be even a brighter white than the snow on mountain behind the bird.

Leucistic second winter Bald Eagle – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 500, +1.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited

Unfortunately this immature Bald Eagle never turned towards me while I photographed it which is why I was not able to take photos of the front of the bird but in a few images that I took I could see at least one partially white feather on the lower part of the bird’s chest.

By the time this young eagle reaches its third or fourth year of age the odd white feathers on its forehead, crown and throat that can be seen so clearly now probably won’t be noticeable at all because they will blend in with the normal white feathers that Bald Eagles typically have on their heads and necks at those ages and when they are adults.

I have only ever seen one other Bald Eagle that had pigment issues. It was an adult whose body feathers should have been dark but instead were the color of butterscotch. The strangely colored Bald Eagle was perched on the top of a conifer which accentuated its lighter than normal feathers. I wasn’t able to get photos of that eagle because I was on a narrow, winding, heavily used road in southern Utah where stopping anywhere on the shoulder could have caused an accident but I have thought about that eagle often over the years and can still see it vividly in my mind’s eye.

With this young, leucistic Bald Eagle I am thrilled that I was able to take photos to document its unusual and distinctive plumage.

Life is good.

Update: Peter Pyle was able to tell me the age of the leucistic sub-adult Bald Eagle. He wrote:

Looks like the outer primary is juvenile but inners have been replaced ,which would put this as in second-basic plumage. Having white patterned like this is not only early by 2 years or so but the pattern is not how it usually comes in, more mottled. So I’d agree this looks to be leucism.

Mia

Click here to view more of my Bald Eagle photos plus facts and information about this species.

P.S., I also spotted a Bobcat yesterday on the way down from the mountains that I wasn’t able to photograph. I could have cried because it was a stunning cat in a majestic setting but that is a story for another day.