Northern Cardinal Variant?

[Joel Eade]

Haven't posted for a while.....had a to take a break from photography for personal reasons. I have continued to feed the birds and recently started my back yard setup once again. Today this unusual bird appeared. I believe it to be a female Northern Cardinal but I have never seen anything like it. I am hoping one of the BPN member experts might be able to provide some info.

1DX
700mm
ISO 1600
f/5.6
1/1250
580 EXII + Better Beamer at 1/16 power

[Roy Priest]

Joel, this is a Leucistic female Cardinal. From Wickipedia "Leucism / (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English)ˈ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)lj (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)uː (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)ɪ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)z (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)əm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)/ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English)[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism#cite_note-1) is a condition in animals characterized by reduced pigmentation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigmentation). Unlike albinism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albinism), it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment, not just melanin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanin).

[Iain Barker]

Really nice image Joel.

I like the composition the IQ is good and a nice subject.
Hope you find the time to get more images like this.

Iain

[Glenn Conlan]

We'll done, the exposure is perfect and the BG,s color compliments the birds feathers. This would be a great calendar image


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[Daniel Cadieux]

Super cool to see this so well. I was going to say "partially leucistic" but Roy got it. Nice comp, pose, BG. I normally don't mind dof issues with birds but in this case I am wishing for more for the wingtips and tail.

[Ian Cassell]

This looks alot like our Pyrrhuloxia ... are you sure it isn't one that ran off course (although the white on the face and the orange bill don't seem right for that)?

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/pyrrhuloxia/id

[Joseph Przybyla]

Hello Joel, nice image. I have never seen a cardinal with this coloration, I learned what it is from your thread. Hoping whatever personal reasons are keeping you from photography get solved and that you post more images like this. Thank you for sharing.

[PRABIR BHATTACHARYYA]

Nice work, Joel. Good BG, good colors...