Shaun Benzai isn91裸聊视频檛 a birder, but one particular corvid frequenting his South Broadview neighbourhood has captured his attention.

Since about mid-June, Benzai, his family and neighbours have been visited by a white-feathered crow. It91裸聊视频檚 beak is pale pink/orange with some black, while its talons are pale pink/orange. Benzai said he hasn91裸聊视频檛 been close enough to determine the colour of the bird91裸聊视频檚 eyes.

91裸聊视频淲e noticed it for about a month or so ago and it91裸聊视频檚 been hanging around with some other crows,91裸聊视频� said Benzai. 91裸聊视频淚t almost seems like the other crows help it out a bit, like they91裸聊视频檙e sharing food with it and stuff.91裸聊视频�

Benzai said he91裸聊视频檇 never seen a white-feathered crow before, and when an opportunity arose he captured a photo of the bird.

91裸聊视频淭he picture I took was with my daughter91裸聊视频檚 camera 91裸聊视频� she91裸聊视频檚 been trying to snap it,91裸聊视频� said Benzai. 91裸聊视频淚t usually lands in a stand of trees that91裸聊视频檚 fairly far away so she91裸聊视频檚 gotten a few pictures of it but it91裸聊视频檚 really small in the picture. It just happened last night when I was barbecuing, it flew right past me and landed in a tree right on the other side of our fence. Her camera was right there so I grabbed quickly and took a snap.91裸聊视频�

Shuswap birder and Nature Watch columnist John G. Woods said in his more than 50 years of bird-watching he91裸聊视频檚 never seen an truly albino crow, though he has seen a crow with some white feathers.

Woods explained a true albino crow lacks the ability to synthesize the dark pigment called melanin. Without melanin, he said, the birds have all-white feathers, pink feet and pink-red eyes.

Partially white birds can produce melanin but lack the ability to distribute it universally into their feathers. These birds are said to be leucistic.

91裸聊视频淥ver many years of observing nature, I91裸聊视频檝e only seen a few leucistic birds including a crow, several dark-eyed juncos and a spectacular great-horned owl,91裸聊视频� said Woods. 91裸聊视频淚 remember the owl as a great shock when a huge mostly white owl flushed from within a dense coniferous forest.

91裸聊视频淏esides being a curiosity, leucistic and albino birds provide unique opportunities to observe a repetitively identifiable bird over time.91裸聊视频�

While he has not yet taken up birdwatching as a hobby, Benzai has appreciated the opportunity to observe the white crow when it is near.

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