Rare white pileated woodpecker spotted west of Edmonton

Karinand RobertDebenhamhave been watching woodpeckers feed in their backyard in Parkland County west of Edmonton for a decade but say they had never seen a bird like the one they recently snapped a picture of.

• Brian Keating reviews 'Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide'
• Chickadee with deformed bill the first spotted in Alberta

Typically,pileatedwoodpeckers are easily recognizable due to their large size (about 400 grams, orthe size of a crow), black-and-white bodies andbright red-crested heads.

The bird spotted by the Debenhams was the rightthe size and had the red crest, but instead of adark body with a dabble of white, it was a mottledwhite-grey.

The woodpecker is the second of its pallor to be spotted in Alberta, says naturalist BrianKeating, a regular contributor to CBC Radio One in Alberta.

Because both of the light-colouredbirds spotted in Alberta had dark eyes, they cannot be called true albinos,Keatingsaid Monday.

Albino speciescharacteristically have pink or red eyes, because without pigment in their retinas, the blood vessels in the eyes remain visible.

True albinism is rare in the wild, affecting only about oneof every 1,800 birds,Keatingsaid. Many die soon after fledging, the stage when feathers and wing muscles develop enough for flight.

Unique colouring may cause other problems for birds

Instead,Keatingsaid the distinctive colouring of these two birds is likely due to a leucism, a genetic condition which causes partial loss of pigmentation in an animal's skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticles. The eyes, however, remain typical.

The extent and position of discolouration can vary between adults and their young, and can also skip a generation, he said.

Besides the obvious camouflage issues birds with the condition face, the reduction in pigment cancause their feathers to weaken,Keatingsaid. In some cases, the condition canprevent a bird from flyingwhich, coupled with their bright colouring, can put them at higher risk from predators.

Keatingsaid there is also some evidence that albino andleucisticbirds may not be recognized or accepted as potential mates.