White buzzard
Text and photo Ülo Väli, EOÜ Bird of Prey team
Translation Liis
White buzzard. Tartumaa
Buzzards have very variable plumages; light as well as dark-coloured varieties occur. However, on the light individuals patches of dark plumage are present to some extent. This year a rare white buzzard has been found in Estonia, lacking darker feathers altogether, We have to do with a so-called leucistic bird that due to a disturbance in development has a lack of pigment in the whole plumage. The white buzzard was first noticed near Tartu already in early June. Now, in mid-September, it has been seen again in several places in Tartu and Valga Counties.
If you have seen a wholly white buzzard please let the Year of the Buzzard team know. Let us together try to chart the movements of the white buzzard. Or it may even turn out that there are several!
See also:
Rare white buzzard seen in Tartumaa, ETV Aktuaalne kaamera (Current camera news programme); the buzzard part begins at 29 min 02 sec: LINK
Viurikas maailm– Wealth of buzzards in world (about the white buzzard see text box at end), journal Eesti Loodus: LINK (in Estonian)
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