white bird in Cascades

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adamschneider
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white bird in Cascades

Post by adamschneider » November 3rd, 2014, 12:04 pm

This past July, on the PCT a few miles north of Snoqualmie Pass (near the "Kendall Katwalk"), I saw a white or off-white bird in a hemlock tree:

Image Image

Any ideas? My first thought is that it might be an albino gray jay, which is apparently a real (albeit rare) thing. The problem with that theory is that the blurry second photo seems to show a slightly forked tail, which doesn't fit. So... maybe a finch of some sort?

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miah66
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Re: white bird in Cascades

Post by miah66 » November 3rd, 2014, 12:46 pm

Wow that is awesome! No idea what it is though. Hopefully someone can shed some light on.
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BigBear
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Re: white bird in Cascades

Post by BigBear » November 4th, 2014, 9:28 am

It reminds me of the white goldfinch we had in the feeder this past summer, not sure if that's the correct answer to your ID.

mcds
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Re: white bird in Cascades

Post by mcds » November 4th, 2014, 4:57 pm

it does appear to be finch size relative to the hemlock cones (which I think of as small and eggshaped, but can be 1-3" long) and the beak looks finch-like.

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bobcat
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Re: white bird in Cascades

Post by bobcat » November 4th, 2014, 5:25 pm

It could be a finch or a sparrow - not a true albino since it doesn't have pink eyes, but definitely a lack of pigment!

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