Something you don't see every day - leucistic wild turkey.

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jeffnles1

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We saw this fellow (Tom) in a field in SE Indiana. We were driving home from photographing some bald eagles and sandhill cranes when my wife spotted a group of about 8 or so wild turkeys in a field and this fellow was in the middle of them. Photos are not very good, bad light, from the car, etc. But still, something we don't get to see all the time.
[edit: a birder friend said this color pattern is often referred to as "Smoke Phase" which is essentially the same as leucistic. Smoke Phase lacks brown and bronze color pigments.]
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Oddball indeed, I've seen crosses between brown and white domestic turkeys and none remotely resembled that bird. You captured a dandy rarity. Looks like it was in corn stubble, so it might be worth making a few trips back there since the flock will probably return until there's no longer readily available food or there disturbed badly.
 
We saw this fellow (Tom) in a field in SE Indiana. We were driving home from photographing some bald eagles and sandhill cranes when my wife spotted a group of about 8 or so wild turkeys in a field and this fellow was in the middle of them. Photos are not very good, bad light, from the car, etc. But still, something we don't get to see all the time. View attachment 103922View attachment 103923

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Very cool. I saw my first leucistic white-tailed deer while taking a walk on December 10. Only camera I had was my ancient iPhone 6s. Quality of photo was pretty bad but sharp enough for id purposes. What a disadvantage for not only the leucistic deer but also for the rest of the herd. They became very visible.
 
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Oddball indeed, I've seen crosses between brown and white domestic turkeys and none remotely resembled that bird. You captured a dandy rarity. Looks like it was in corn stubble, so it might be worth making a few trips back there since the flock will probably return until there's no longer readily available food or there disturbed badly.
Thanks. My first thought when I saw it was somehow a domestic turkey / wild turkey hybrid but it doesn't appear to be so, looks like wild bird. Yes it is in some corn stubble. Small field maybe 2 or 3 acres alongside a stream. There some huge corn fields and soy bean fields across the creek so I will be driving back by there next week to see if he's still around and somewhere where I can get a better photo. All private property there and a very dangerous road upon which to stop. One pull off and I can walk about a quarter mile to this field if I see him.
 
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