Leucistic Turkey Vulture

[Bill Lamond]

Hello,

On 11 July while birding on Cockshutt Rd in south Brantford, I saw a very leucistic (albinistic) Turkey Vulture. When I first saw it when it flew low over my head, for a split second I thought it was a Glaucous Gull but then I realized very quickly it was a Turkey Vulture. It swooped low over a hedgerow and I lost it from view but I saw other vultures flying in and landing at the same spot. So I crept over trying to remain concealed to get a view of the vulture and attempt to get a cell phone photo. I was clumsy about this and I surprised all the vultures (about 8-10) and they all took off. I managed to get a few shots of the vulture in the air and shortly after when it landed further out in the field. 

It is a very odd looking creature. The photos on the ground make it look like it has a white head which it should not have as Turkey Vultures have unfeathered black heads. My daughter Sarah, thought that with the very poor quality of the photos, that you can not be sure the head is white.

Later there was a "kettle" of 28 vultures nearby but unfortunately the white bird was not there. I'm thinking the bird must be a bird-of-the-year or it would have been spotted before by a birder. At least that's what I think.

I have never seen a Turkey Vulture like this before. In fact, with all the 1000s of TVs that pass Beamer every spring at the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch, I have never heard anyone mention a white Turkey Vulture before. It must be an uncommon sight. Too bad I don't have a real camera.

Bill