Plumage Aberrations
Ducks to Woodpeckers
Terms like leucistic and melanistic are not properly defined for proper use here. Please see David Sibley's website below for a more thoughtful look at some of the actual terms in use. All birds here have pigment aberrations, but we will leave open any precise definition unless the bird is a full albino.
Abnormal Coloration in Birds - by David Sibley
Photo by Dan Jones
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - Hidalgo Co., January 26, 2017
Photo by Ashley Tubbs
Cackling Goose - Randall Co., February 15, 2014
Photo by Ashley Tubbs
American Wigeon - Randall Co., February 14, 2014
Photo by Andrew Orgill
American Wigeon - Nueces Co., December 21, 2011. Sometimes referred to as a "storm" wigeon.
Photo by Norman Welsh
Northern Shoveler - Chambers Co., December 29, 2013
Photo by Eric Carpenter
Northern Shoveler - Travis Co., March 13, 2009
Photo by Vincent O'Brien
Northern Shoveler - Travis Co., February 16, 2018
Photo by Paul Sellin
Ring-necked Duck - Hardeman Co.,February 9, 2013
Photo by Martin Reid
Ruddy Duck - Bexar Co., November 4, 2006
Photo by Marilyn Kircus
Pied-billed Grebe (albino) - Chambers Co., January 24, 2015
Photo by Paul Sellin
Wild Turkey - Kerr Co., June 17, 2017
Photo by Jack Chiles
Great Blue Heron (one melanistic?) - Grayson Co., May 12, 2016
Photo by Sarah Kuzio
Turkey Vulture - Jeff Davis Co., October 17, 2016
Photo by Robert Lloyd Qually
Black Vulture - Freestone Co., July 25, 2014
Photo by John Karges
Cooper's Hawk - Bell Co., November 6, 2016
Photo by Tripp Davenport
Red-tailed Hawk - Zavala Co., February 2, 2011. Same bird as below.
Photo by Jason Penny
Red-tailed Hawk - Zavala Co., December 8, 2010
Photo by Sue Orwig
Red-tailed Hawk - Harris Co., February 10, 2012
Photo by Deloris Sellin
Red-tailed Hawk - Bandera Co., December 17, 2015
Photo by Sherry Adkins
Burrowing Owl - Potter Co., March 8, 2018
Photo by Paul Sellin
American Coot - Kerr Co., December 22, 2015
Photo by Randall Patterson
American Coot - Dallas Co., January 7, 2018
Photo by Corey Lange
Killdeer - Kleberg Co., January 15, 2015
Photo by Mary King
Ruddy Turnstone - Nueces Co., October 1, 2014
Photo by S. S. Cheema
Laughing Gull - Calveston Co., April 21, 2018
Photo by Greg Lasley
Laughing Gull - Nueces Co., August 24, 1996
Photos by Chris Runk
Franklin's Gull - White Rock Lake spillway, Dallas Co., November 20, 2011
Photo by Martin Reid
Ring-billed Gull - Nueces Co., February 8, 2005
Photo by Susan Schaezler
White-winged Dove - Guadalupe Co., January 6, 2015
Photo by Jay Packer
White-winged Dove - Loving Co., March 14, 2015
Video by John Rosford
Lesser Nighthawk - Hidalgo Co., June 2, 2014
Images of a single Lucifer Hummingbird in a typical state of seasonal molt
Photos by Carolyn Ohl and Mac Womack
Sequence from left to right: April 27, April 30, May 7, May 13, May 16, May 18. All from 2017.
Photo by Betsy Freeman
Archilochus Hummingbird - Tarrant Co., August 12, 2016 (albino)
Photo by Shirley Wilkerson
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Brazos Co., September 3, 2014
Photo by Lora Render
Black-chinned Hummingbird - Bexar co., June 24, 2011
Photo by Carolyn Ohl
Black-chinned Hummingbird - Brewster Co., August 30, 2010
Photo by Missy McAllister
Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker - Tarrant Co., February 25, 2018
Photo by Sydney Kissinger
Red-headed Woodpecker - Jasper Co., August 25, 2013, Same bird as below.
Photo by Sydney Kissinger
Red-headed Woodpecker - Jasper Co., August 25, 2013
Photo by Rhonda Misslin
Red-bellied Woodpecker - Parker Co., March 24, 2015
Photo by Rick Nirschl
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - Hidalgo Co., February 22, 2013.
Photo by Bert Wessling
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - Hidalgo Co., April 21, 2011.
Photo by Corey Lange
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - Kleberg Co., July 17, 2014.
Photo by Carter Crouch
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - Kleberg Co., April 3, 2013.
Photo by Dottie Lamolinara
Ladder-backed Woodpecker - Hidalgo Co., December 21, 2013
