>Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 21:46:37 -0600
>Reply-To: "National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Chat Line)"
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>From: Barb Beck <barb at forsci.ualberta.ca>
>Subject: Albino and leucistic chickadees, magpies and house sparrows
>Comments: To: birdchat at ARIZVM1.CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU
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>Poster: Barb Beck <barb at FORSCI.UALBERTA.CA>
>Subject: Albino and leucistic chickadees, magpies and house sparrows
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>We have had more than one leucistic chickadee in the Edmonton Area. One
>was reported recently on the Wabamum Christmas count.
>
>Edmonton has "ghost" magpies. These magpies have a light gray color
>where they should have black. It has been reported that these birds
>do not socialize or roost with regular magpies (but the source was the
>Edmonton Journal so I do not know how credible that is) We had one
>that was a regular visitor to our yard the first year we were here
>twenty four years ago. Some hang around the U of A campus and the
>Legislature grounds.
>
>In my yard I have had a lot of partially albino house sparrows. Some
>have a mottled appearance with about a third of their feathers
>randomly white. Some are very symetrical with primaries, secondaries
>and the outer tail feathers white. Some only have a single white
>feather. Last year and the year before I had several striking males.
>This year they seem to have disappeared. One female, however has
>white outer tail feathers and a few white primaries.
>
>
>Barbara Beck
>Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
>barb at forestburg.forsci.ualberta.ca
>http://www.forsci.ualberta.ca/~barb
>
>