Mystery Bird: leucistic Red-Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus

tags: , , , ,

[Mystery bird] leucistic Red-Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow]

Image: Richard Ditch, 18 January 2009 [larger view].

Date Time Original: 2009:01:18 08:46:49
Exposure Time: 1/750
F-Number: 8.00
ISO: 320

Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.

Review all mystery birds to date.

More like this

This is a summary of several of the better books I’ve had the opportunity to review here, organized in general categories.
tags: conservation, endangered species,
Family Guy, S07E02 'I Dream of Jesus': Peter: Brian, can I see that paper for a sec? (Brian gives Peter the paper. Peter peruses the paper.) Peter: Huh... that's odd... I thought that would big news.

Well, it looks like a leucistic icterid. I want to call it a female Brewer's blackbird, but the beak seems a tad heavy for that. Maybe an immature male red-winged blackbird, in the process of molting into his adult (leucistic) plumage?

Hm. Well, I have to pick something, so I'm going to pick my first guess: female Brewer's. I'm not at all sure about it, though. Neat shot!

Cool bird, Rich!

Plumage-wise, that bird does not resemble anything in any field guide, so I'm assuming that it is a leucistic individual.

Structure-wise, it looks like a female Red-winged Blackbird. Bill proportions are right, and the non-albino feather tracts on the back are consistent with that ID.

By Albatrossity (not verified) on 27 Apr 2009 #permalink

I agree with Albatrossity.

Except for the anomalous white and off-white feathers this looks like a female Red-winged blackbird, based on the rufous edging on the back feathers and the general proportions of the head and bill.