Piebald Robin
Yes, this is an unusual robin! "Piebald" is how the photographer described the bird, seen in Midland, Michigan, last weekend. Piebald is a word that describes animals having irregular patches of two colors, typically black and white. For birds, the experts call it leucism. We've had reports of robins with white feathers and one reader wondered if it is especially common this particular spring. "I haven't heard that leucism is more common right now, but some birds do grow in white feathers in various areas during molt if they're stressed. The drought and flooding and other weather conditions may be causing some stressed birds," notes ornithologist Laura Erickson.
Photo: Teri Bickmore
