Photographer Kyle Knapp, who lives in Warwick, shared this extraordinary image of an Albino Eastern Bluebird. He wrote: “This past weekend was one of those ‘rare’ occurrences in bird photography. On a private farm, I was lucky enough to capture a glimpse of a true albino Eastern Bluebird. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.” According to the website Sialis.org by the birder who goes by the name Bret: “Albinism is a genetic (inherited) condition resulting in a complete lack of production of melanin pigmentation in the eyes, skin and feathers. Albinos are extremely uncommon. Leucism is also a genetic mutation. Leucistic birds have dilute, paler/ whitish plumage overall. A faint pattern may be visible. Leucism is also uncommon, but is more common that albinism. Some other color abnormalities may be due to disease, diet/malnutrition or injury, or other factors.”
This is what a “normal” Eastern Bluebird looks like. Photo courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.