The chickadee on the right has been a frequent visitor at our feeder for the past month. It's a black-capped chickadee with leucism, a genetic mutation that results in unusual plumage. Its black cap is just a little smaller and not completely black. I'd have been completely baffled by this bird if not for the help of the people at Project FeederWatch and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
I learned from the web site that such birds are rare. Of the 5.5 million birds reported to Project FeederWatch every season, fewer than 1,000 leucistic birds have been reported over a six-year period. "If you are ever fortunate enough to see one of these oddly plumaged birds, consider yourself lucky!" the web site says, and I do.
Backyard science is a really wonderful thing: Instead of being passive consumers of all the great stuff nature gives us, we can be active observers collecting information on a scale that would never be possible by individual scientists. If you've got a bird feeder in your yard, go visit the Project FeederWatch site and see what you can accomplish. I know some of you are home-schoolers, and there's a section on the site with ideas for you. I'm as passionate about my little backyard birds as I am my vintage stuff, so thanks for indulging me with a post that's a little off my usual path.
We also have bird feeders in our garden! I love to watch the birds. My mother used to have a pair of binoculars lying near the window and was always watching the birds. She was especially eager to see the little birdies flying out. Sometimes she just missed that moment and she wasn't happy. Here the bird population is changing. Sparrows are getting scarce, in my youth they were so common. Now my husband has bought little nesting houses too, so I hope we will have young birds in our garden too next spring. They always nest at my neighbours, oh well the grass looks a bit greener up there!
Well done, congrats on your good marks on 2008 resolutions. Mmm I'm having F's with my 2009 :-(
Posted by: LiLi M. | January 09, 2009 at 02:26 PM
I love it! I am also a backyard bird junkie. I have two big feeder poles with, let me count now, ummm....8 feeders. Right now I am offering in my backyard, millet, black oil sunflower, peanuts and suet. Yum, yum. xo, suzy
Posted by: GeorgiaPeachez | January 10, 2009 at 09:25 PM
It certainly is a pretty bird. Thank you for sharing this info. I learned something new today!
Posted by: Lena | January 14, 2009 at 03:10 PM