Tag: animals

shezep:

raptorwing:

A leucistic (partially-albino) red-tailed hawk with its handler.  Taken from the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, MN.

Of all the raptors, the red-tailed hawk is the most prone to occasional leucism and albinism.  Fully albino individuals generally perish quickly, since the lack of pigment in the eyes robs the birds the ability to see effectively.

  Leucistic individuals have a chance of surviving in the wild, since they retain pigment in their eyes.  Thus, sightings of pale, mottled, or fully white (but dark-eyed) red-tailed hawks are rare but regular throughout the population.