Ghost bird

Ghost-like partial-albino Pine Siskin shares feeder with regular siskin.

Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches love the niger seed John puts out for them here in Naicam. One day I was startled to see a strange ghost-like bird among the crowd of siskins. It was a pale creamy color on its lower back and on its front, slightly darker like pale wheat color on upper back and head with touches of yellow on sides.

Pink-footed albino shelling niger seeds.

The merest hint of pale streaking is barely visible on its pale breast. Note that even its beak is light colored. It is a partial albino, not a full albino, according to birding guru Dr. Stuart Houston of Saskatoon. It would be white all over with pink eyes if it were true albino, he says.

The regular siskin has dark feet and dark bill.

The albino is a pale copy of its friends.

I have no idea how unusual albino-ish siskins are. Dr. Houston says he has never seen one so they must be fairly uncommon. This little guy came to the feeder for five or six days before moving on to his next restaurant.  In Delisle, there were several robins with white blotches on their heads but no fully colorless robin.