Unusual Magpie

[Batato]

Hi there, this is my first post, I hope I'm in the right bit of the forum?
I spotted this fellow a while ago... He hangs around with a 'bunch' of other magpies around our way. Unusual markings - not albino but he's almost fully white from the front. He seems a little on the large side but his behaviour is pretty magpie-normal. I was just wondering if this is a common phenomenon with Magpies or not, I've never seen anything like this before. I guess he's what you would just call a 'sport', as he's not an albino? "Sport, biology: an organism or part that shows an unusual or singular deviation from the normal or parent type; mutation."

[Kingfisher]

I'd say it's part leucistic.

[PeterB]

Welcome to the forum Batato

Leucism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Dave Appleton]

Have you got any other photos of this interesting bird. Clearly leucistic, peculiarly reminiscent in every other way of a Pied Wagtail - but if he was with Magpies and behaving like Magpies and as big as Magpies, then presumably not a Pied Wagtail.

[Little Sparrow]

My first thoughts when I saw the photo was that it was a Pied Wagtail.

[PeterB]

I think they would be very small roof tiles if it were a Waggy.

[Dave Appleton]

Originally Posted by PeterB

I think they would be very small roof tiles if it were a Waggy.

Indeed. I hope I didn't sound like I was saying it was a Pied Wagtail - that wasn't my intention - but I did have too look twice to convince myself and even then had a slightly nagging doubt!

Cool bird!

[alanjns]

Simon 624 had some unusual brown Magpies in summer 2009 - here is a link to his post: Brown and white magpie

[Little Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Dave Appleton

Indeed. I hope I didn't sound like I was saying it was a Pied Wagtail - that wasn't my intention - but I did have too look twice to convince myself and even then had a slightly nagging doubt!

Cool bird!

I feel reasonably confident in making my own mind up of what species a bird looks like to me at first glance. I can assure you that your comment did not have any influence. Maybe I will keep my thoughts to myself in future.

[Dave Appleton]

Originally Posted by Little Sparrow

I feel reasonably confident in making my own mind up of what species a bird looks like to me at first glance. I can assure you that your comment did not have any influence. Maybe I will keep my thoughts to myself in future.

Sorry Little Sparrow, my attempt at clarification has perhaps done the opposite! I wasn't imagining for one momment that my comment had influenced yours and didn't mean to suggest it had done. After seeing Peter's comment I looked back at mine and realised that it could have been constrewed to be saying I thought the bird was a Pied Wagtail, which wasn't the case. No doubt you and I both, and independently, had the same first impression. No reason for you or I to keep our thoughts to ourselves - it was just my wrong for not being clear.