White blackbirds

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Small patches of white feathers are fairly often reported on Blackbirds. Now as 
to "How common are these variations?" Well that comes down to semantics of what 
impression-type words (like "fairly common") actually mean, which is arbitrary. 
Unless of course someone has done a statistical study of it. I'd suggest that 
white feathers on Blackbirds are close to the most frequent plumage 
abnormalities occurring on birds, or maybe just seen often, as they are 
conspicuous and they inhabit our environments. Amazingly HANZAB doesn't even 
appear to mention this variation!

As for the all white birds, that is unusual but if they: looked, acted and 
sounded like blackbirds then you can be sure that is what they were. 

Philip
(Canberra)