{"id":1409,"date":"2016-01-10T22:00:50","date_gmt":"2016-01-11T04:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1409"},"modified":"2016-01-13T22:32:50","modified_gmt":"2016-01-14T04:32:50","slug":"leucistic-northern-cardinal-winter-birds-little-piney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1409","title":{"rendered":"Leucistic Northern Cardinal and More Winter Birds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leucistic Northern Cardinal<\/h2>\n

I saw a light-colored bird drop down into the woodpile in brush behind the Hummingbird garden–one I couldn’t immediately identify. \u00a0I thought it might be a female Cardinal but it was unmistakably gray and white, not a hint of creamy buff. \u00a0Maybe a pale Pyrrhuloxia?<\/p>\n

\"Leucistic <\/a>
Leucistic Northern Cardinal <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Leucistic <\/a>
Leucistic Northern Cardinal <\/div> <\/div>
\"Leucistic <\/a>
Leucistic Northern Cardinal <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

When the the shy bird ventured out toward the feeder, a bright red male\u00a0dove at it in the grass,\u00a0a behavior usually reserved for the feeder wars. \u00a0The strange bird was clearly not welcome. \u00a0I could now see the black facial marks similar to a male cardinal, the streaked feathers of a female, and the white breast of a leucistic variation. \u00a0After comparing my photos with information online, I found that this bird most resembles David Sibley’s description and painting of a\u00a0\u00a0female non-phaeomelani<\/a>c<\/span>\u00a0Northern Cardinal<\/a>, a partially leucistic bird which\u00a0lacks the chestnut\/buff-colored pigment phaeomelanin. \u00a0The black facial markings on a female may be more prominent when the buffy color is missing. \u00a0Whatever her scientific identity, she is a beautiful and very rare creature, and I am glad I got to see her.<\/p>\n

\"Non-phaeomelanic
Leucistic Female Cardinal and Aggressive Male<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Female
Luecistic Northern Cardinal, Non-phaeomelanic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you would like to see more interesting cardinal color variations including pink and yellow check out\u00a0http:\/\/www.rrbo.org\/in-the-field\/notable-birds\/odd-plumages-2\/<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0http:\/\/biology.eku.edu\/kos\/yellow_NOCA.htm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cedar Waxwings<\/h2>\n

Cedar Waxwings descend in a cloud of squeaky chatter and motion. \u00a0This group happened to perch in a large elm just above me with the full afternoon sun adding a glow to their creamy breasts. \u00a0They are among my favorite winter Texans.<\/p>\n

\"Cedar
Cedar Waxwings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cedar
Cedar Waxwing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three New Birds for Little Piney<\/h2>\n

Three new species have dropped in this month already! \u00a0A Harris’s Sparrow<\/a>, a Hermit Thrush<\/a>, and several \u00a0Vesper Sparrows<\/a>. \u00a0All three beautiful birds with dramatic brown and white markings. \u00a0That brings my species list for Little Piney up to 72.<\/p>\n

\"Harris's <\/a>
Harris’s Sparrow at Little Piney <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Hermit <\/a>
Hermit Thrush at Little Piney <\/div> <\/div>
\"Vesper <\/a>
Vesper Sparrow at Little Piney <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Leucistic Northern Cardinal I saw a light-colored bird drop down into the woodpile in brush behind the Hummingbird garden–one I couldn’t immediately identify. \u00a0I thought it might be a female Cardinal but it was unmistakably gray and white, not a hint of creamy buff. \u00a0Maybe a pale Pyrrhuloxia? When the the shy bird ventured outContinue reading<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","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_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,41],"tags":[11,31,218,206,215,241,245,248,246,247,240,238,243,242],"class_list":["post-1409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bastrop-lost-pines-birds","category-lost-pines-life","tag-bastrop-birds","tag-bastrop-tx-birds","tag-birds-of-bastrop-tx","tag-birds-of-texas","tag-cedar-waxwings","tag-harriss-sparrow","tag-hermit-thrush","tag-leucistic-birds","tag-leucistic-cardinal","tag-leucistic-female-cardinal","tag-leucistic-northern-cardinal","tag-leucistic-northern-cardinal-bastrop-tx","tag-non-phaeomelanic-northern-cardinal","tag-vesper-sparrow"],"yoast_head":"\nLeucistic Northern Cardinal and More Winter Birds - 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