The White Flycatcher

(click on a photo to enlarge)

Over a week ago now (I’ve been doing domestic stuff like painting walls and got behind with blogging), I visited Sweetwater Wetlands Park in west central Tucson. It’s a convenient stop, just off of I-10 a bit northwest of the Prince Rd. exit. I hadn’t been to Sweetwater in months which I regret because it’s probably the #1 birding hotspot in Tucson, especially in the cooler months. Some weeks earlier a leucistic Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) was spotted at the park and I procrastinated to the point that I forgot it was there. So, when I made my visit, I wasn’t even looking for the ghostly white bird. Instead it found me.

Leucistic Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)

This bird is so white that at first impression you think it’s an albino but on closer inspection, you notice the dark eyes which would be pink were it a true albino as well as a slight pinkish-orange cast on some of the feathers. Trusting and calm, it perched just above where I was standing and proceeded to preen giving me even better views of the  feathers  in the vent are which should be scarlet if the bird is a male and much more pigmented if a female. The tail feathers are grayish instead of black.

Preening

Birds are referred to as  leucistic even if they have only a few white feathers that would normally be pigmented. In true albinism the gene that produces the pigments which color the feathers is missing. This bird is an extreme case of leucism. On this day, the little white flycatcher was in the company of both a striking crimson and black male and a female, making the contrast between them even more impressive.

Sweetwater is truly an oasis in the desert and attracts a large variety of wintering waterfowl. I never cease to admire the beautiful Northern Shovelers that are, by far, the most numerous ducks on the ponds. I also think the drakes are among the most photogenic of all the ducks.

Male Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

Flashy Orange Feet!

A female shoveler flew in and proceeded to bathe.

Gotta Keep Those Feathers in Shape!

There’s something about the little Pied-billed Grebe that always captivates me even though it doesn’t have flashy colored feathers. It kinda looks like an aquatic chicken.

Pied-billed Grebe (Podylimbus podiceps)

This little guy or gal (the sexes both look alike) lacks the black vertical stripe on the bill that gives it its name. This is because it’s in non-breeding plumage until about April. They spend most of their time diving for food and rarely fly. This bird wanted to get to another spot on the pond quickly and did so by “running” on the surface of the water.

Slinking on by in the silky waters of the pond was the more secretive Common Moorhen. These birds are usually only seen singly or in pairs, never in large numbers like their close cousins, the American Coot. I think the name Uncommon Moorhen would suit them better.

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

One last little surprise before leaving the park, a Yellow Warbler– two, in fact. Birds that should be overwintering in Central or South America. You just never know what you’ll find on a visit to Sweetwater!

Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)

Published by Arlene Ripley on January 29th, 2010 Tagged Arizona, Birds, Nature, Tucson, Wanderings

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