Melanistic House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
This is one House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) I have never seen before! I took these shots last weekend, the bird being part of a group of well over 100 House Sparrows. The photos are very true to real life appearance and have not been heavily edited. Do you know why it is so dark? It appears to be melanistic which means that the dark-colored pigment melanin in the feathers was produced at higher than normal levels creating an abnormal color. The opposite is known as leucism where pigments are produced at less than normal levels or in an unexpected pattern. Melanism in small songbirds is...
Read MoreMelanistic Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) by Twan Leenders
This melanistic Eastern Gray Squirrel that Twan recently photographed in Dunkirk, NY seemed to me to be the perfect scene for the upcoming week with a little bit of snow in a very cold looking world. I’m glad they’re doing well over there along Lake Erie even if their winter “camouflage” needs some, um…help. How are the feathered and furry friends doing in your backyard?
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