{"id":117058,"date":"2023-10-15T03:05:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-15T09:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=117058"},"modified":"2023-10-15T04:15:48","modified_gmt":"2023-10-15T10:15:48","slug":"my-leucistic-song-sparrow-sighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/10\/15\/my-leucistic-song-sparrow-sighting\/","title":{"rendered":"My Leucistic Song Sparrow Sighting"},"content":{"rendered":"

My second gobsmack in a week occurred when I spotted a stunning leucistic Song Sparrow while driving slowly along the road at Farmington Bay WMA two days ago.<\/p>\n

\"LeucisticLeucistic Song Sparrow at Farmington Bay WMA \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I had been photographing a normal Song Sparrow, and when it lifted off,\u00a0 I slowly moved my Jeep forward until I saw this bird. It was resting on some phrags in the marsh, and its unusual white face glowed like a tiny beacon. That is what caught my eye first.<\/p>\n

At that moment, I was focused on two things: taking photos of this unusual sparrow and identifying its species.<\/p>\n

Because I don’t find leucistic birds all that often, I was buzzing with adrenaline and excitement. ‘Wired’ also might be a good word.<\/p>\n

\"SongSong Sparrow with leucism \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew the bird was a sparrow from its general shape. My initial thought was that it was a Song Sparrow. I was about 95% sure of my identification, but that 5% of uncertainty niggled at me.<\/p>\n

I shared a back of camera cell phone shot of the sparrow to my Facebook page, danced in my seat, and went looking for more birds to photograph after it flew off.<\/p>\n

It is always thrilling to find a rare or leucistic bird.<\/p>\n

\"PerchedPerched leucistic Song Sparrow \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time I got home there were a few comments on my Facebook post and as I waited for my photos to upload I looked at them and the back of camera image I had posted. That is when I began to second guess my Song Sparrow identification. The streaking on the breast looked finer than I thought it should for that species.<\/p>\n

I submitted the images to the American Birding Associations (ABA) “What’s This Bird<\/span><\/a>?” group and waited to see if other people thought it was a Song Sparrow. The consensus was Song Sparrow.<\/p>\n

It is perfectly okay for me to second-guess myself when it comes to tricky identifications; that is how I learn. Also, while I know a lot about birds, I don’t consider or call myself an expert.<\/p>\n

Anyway, that is why I am sharing my second gobsmacked experience after<\/em> my third one of the week.<\/p>\n

I was second-guessing myself.<\/p>\n

I’m simply delighted that I found and photographed this unusual and beautiful bird.<\/p>\n

\"NormalNormal Song Sparrow in autumn \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

In case you were wondering what a ‘normal’ Song Sparrow looks like, this is the one I photographed just before I found the leucistic sparrow.<\/p>\n

Between the handsome Sharp-shinned Hawk<\/span><\/a>, this wonderful, unusual sparrow, and the other birds I found and photographed, I had a fantastic day at Farmington Bay!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see posts on other leucistic birds that I have found and photographed. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Song Sparrow photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

From Merriam-Webster.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Definition of leucism:<\/em><\/p>\n

an abnormal condition of reduced pigmentation affecting various animals (such as birds, mammals, and reptiles) that is marked by overall pale color or patches of reduced coloring and is caused by a genetic mutation which inhibits melanin and other pigments from being deposited in feathers, hair, or skin. The presence of unusual plumage contrasts (such as a very pale-winged bird with dark brown tail) is a strong indication of leucism. \u2014 David Allen Sibley<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My second gobsmack in a week occurred when I spotted a stunning leucistic Song Sparrow while driving slowly along the road at Farmington Bay WMA two days ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1022,697,13594,204,26],"tags":[14468,4004,970,4620,3456,3455,4094,4202,4378,13485,4104,4059,6428,7876,1053,14469,4023,855,4195,30,4095],"class_list":["post-117058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-leucistic","category-song-sparrows","category-utah","tag-aberrant-plumage","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-fall","tag-leucism","tag-leucistic","tag-marsh","tag-melospiza-melodia","tag-morning","tag-normal","tag-perched","tag-phragmites","tag-phrags","tag-pigment-issues","tag-plumage","tag-plumage-issue","tag-song-sparrow","tag-sparrow","tag-sparrows","tag-utah-2","tag-wetlands"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t