A rare bird – in coloration, at least
Bill Moffat took this photo at his home in Hart Flat of a Spotted Towhee. But not an ordinary Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus). This particular bird is a rare leucistic individual.
Leucistic is a name used to refer to animals that have reduced levels of pigment, resulting in white or lighter, paler coloration than normal.
Leucism is often mistaken for albinism, which is an absence of a specific pigment – melanin. Albino animals are often completely white, and sometimes have red eyes, like the common white lab rat.
Animals that have leucism typically have reduced levels of pigmentation, but not a total lack of melanin, so they may be yellowish or cream-colored instead of white, and their eyes, lips, noses, etc. are often normally-colored.
From time to time, a leucistic California Mule Deer is sighted in the Tehachapi Mountains. One in Bear Valley Springs about 10 or 15 years ago lived and was photographed for several years. It was very pale overall, but did have normal-colored eyes and nose, so it was apparently leucistic instead of albinistic. Animals like this tend to be at a disadvantage because they stand out against the background habitat instead of blending in.
Bill said that the leucistic Spotted Towhee has spent about the past month in the yard of the home where he and his wife Debra live. The couple chose their property partly because it has lots of trees and native vegetation, and there is abundant wildlife in the area.
Spotted Towhees, whose name is pronounced like “Toe-ee” without an “h” sound, are a type of large sparrow about the size of an American Robin, or another familiar Tehachapi bird, the related California Towhee.
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, you may submit it to the Tehachapi News. Submissions can be dropped by the News office, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews. com.