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Bird Photos: Oddities: Leucistic Downy Woodpecker,
Stanislaus Co.
I photographed this leucistic Downy Woodpecker at
the Turlock Lake Campground, Stanislaus Co., CA on 2/26/05. The
primaries, scapulars, and wing coverts appear paler than what
might be typical of worn or bleached plumage of Downy Woodpecker,
regardless of age.
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First, to make sure that
this was a Downy and not a Hairy Woodpecker, the small bill
was noted.
Below left, the white blaze on the upper
back eliminates Nuttall's Woodpecker. And the two black
bars on the white outer tail feather at the left edge of
the tail indicates Downy rather than Hairy Woodpecker.
Below right, the black bars can be seen on
the white outer tail web on the right side of the tail,
to the right of the twig.
The head and tail plumage seem to be of normal
black intensity.
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| One more view of the back
showing the leucistic wing and back feathers, and normally
pigmented head and tail. Did the albinistic Red-tailed Hawk
nearby feed on several of these leucistic Downy Woodpeckers
to achieve its plumage? :-)
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