Leucistic Savannah Sparrow

In my blog on June 30 I discussed a leucistic House Finch. Looking though my files I found a photo that my good friend Colin Campbell had taken of a leucistic Savannah Sparrow (below), in December 2005 in Delaware.


I had mentioned that there were two types of leucism, and that the House Finch showed an example of the Pied type. Colin’s Savannah Sparrow is an example of the Pale type, where the bird is evenly pale all over. Compare this bird with Kevin Loughlin’s photo of a normal Savannah Sparrow in the Notes from the Wildside header (above).

Being very light you may wonder why this is not an example of albinism. Albinism occurs when their is no skin pigmentation at all, rendering the bird all white with a pink eye, whereas leucism occurs when there is a reduction in pigmentation.

photo © colin campbell