Wow! Fantastic find and captures Sharon!! I've seen a few leucistic birds here, mainly Grackles for some reason and only patchy as you mentioned. That hummingbird is stunning!!
From what I've read, it kind of makes sense that you'd see a lot of Grackles with this condition. Leucism makes it pretty difficult for a bird to survive, if for no other reason than it makes them more easier spotted by predators.
Melanin is also an important structural component in feathers, and so the more leucistic (or even worse, albinism) the bird is, the more likely it's feathers will wear out, making flight difficult and giving them less insulation from a harsh winter.
So, I'd think that since Grackles are naturally pretty tough, hardy birds, they have a better chance of surviving longer with leucism than some of the smaller, more fragile birds.
Unfortunately, it's unlikely that a bird like this leucistic hummingbird will survive the winter.
Excellent, Sharon and thanks for not making me look up loo-lieu-lieucistic.
;-)
I actually thought about just using the term "leucistic" and letting people google it, but I decided to be nice...
