Much to our delight, we share our property with a large flock of ring-necked pheasants. The most we have seen at one time is 16. Among the birds in the flock are several white ones. I have to admit, the first time I saw one of these large white birds running across the road I thought a chicken had escaped from a local farm!
But when these rare and somewhat odd looking birds appeared with other ‘normal looking’ pheasants….I realized what species they were and thought they were albino.
Close…not but quite. They are what is known in the bird science world as leucistic birds. Leucism is a lack of normal color or pigmentation in the feathers of birds. Because their eyes are normally colored and are not red and in some cases, they do have spots of regular feathers on their body…they cannot be classified as albinos. The male leucistic pheasant I see has the red fleshy patches on his face, and large dark blotches of color on his body. We have seen 2 females with leucism, and both of them are nearly completely white. They are so ethereal and delicate looking, especially against the white of winter snow. Perfect camouflage!
I have shared photos of these birds with many groups and organizations. They tell me that if these birds breed among themselves and bring what was a recessive gene to the forefront of their DNA.. eventually they will form their own subspecies of pheasants. We have seen 3…apparently there are 5 in the area.
What I find interesting is that among the flock of ring-necked pheasants…they are completely accepted as ‘one of the gang’. They are not treated any differently or harassed by the other members of the flock. Amazing that birds and animals can accept someone who looks a little different but humans can’t. We can learn a lot from nature and animals, I think.
I worry about these special beauties. In the winter their feather offer complete camouflage..but in summer…that is a different story. Their bright white plumage against the dark lush green of grass and fields makes them a easy target for predators. Having said that, I have followed and documented their lives for 3 years now. And I consider myself fortunate to have done so.
Through my lens 
Lovely pictures Karen! I have to remember to look at your blog now to see your pictures.
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Thank you so much Janet for the visit. Remember you can sign up to receive an email reminding you of new blog entries..Just click on the ‘follow’ icon on the right hand side of the screen and follow the prompts.
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