Expert: Julia Booth - 3/25/2010

Question
I read that you saw an unusual white headed bird.  I have walked past a house nearby three times this week to find this unusual bird searching for worms.  I took my camera today.  I haven't found him in any book or site.  He isn't very skitery.  He has a white head with several gray spots. His breast is red and his wings are a dark brown to gray with white markings.  He's the size of a robin. He is pulling worms from the lawn with his yellow beak.  We live in Western WA,  Haven't seen this bird anywhere else.

Answer
It sounds like it IS a robin, a robin with partial albinism, which does occur more frequently that you would think.

Here are some images of robins with partial albinism:

http://www.seed-solutions.com/gregordy/Stuff/Images/VassarMI_small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v77/kymillie/Birds%20and%20Animals/Robin5-06ax...

http://ic2.pbase.com/o6/13/6313/1/76868612.jhs9oDGz.robinl5xorig.jpg

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/robin/Albino1_JFBrown.jpg

The other alternative is the white-headed pigeon, which is native to Australia. But it's unlikely that you would find one in the pacific northwest US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-headed_Pigeon

Let me know if this helps you. If not, we'll go from there,


Julia