Leucistic Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Leucistic Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

This afternoon on my way home I dropped by Central Winds to find the place flooded with Palm Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.  But this one threw me for a loop, since it's not the colors it's supposed to be.  Leucism is a condition where animals have reduced pigmentation, which in birds means their feathers are white.  Sometimes birds may be partially leucistic--where only some of their feathers are white or where all of their feathers are lighter than they ought to be.  But this one seems to be pretty much all white. If you aren't familiar with the way these birds ought to look, I've included a photo of a normal Blue-gray Gnatcatcher below.

Leucistic Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Normal Blue-gray Gnatcatcher