New blog from Don Bransford- Wonders of Nature

This fall during a lull in harvest, I was driving slowly along the field and I saw a white head peaking out of a squirrel hole. Not knowing what to expect I stopped the pickup and got out to investigate. Almost immediately a white owl flew from the hole across the ditch to a road on the other side where he landed. I grabbed my camera and looked through the telephoto lens to try to get a better look at my new friend.


I could tell that his white feathers appeared slightly marbled with brown color and his eyes were a bright yellow. At first I thought it might be a baby Barn Owl but was not sure. I took a couple of pictures and headed home to try and figure out what I had just observed. After looking in Bird Guide Books and online, I discovered that it was not a Barn Owl and still a mystery.

Fortunately, a few researchers from Audubon California and Point Reyes Bird Observatory came a few days later and I took them on a “nature” walk to rediscover my find and give me a definite identification. It did not take them long at all. They told me the owl was a leucistic Burrowing Owl. According to Wikepedia: “it is a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals and humans. Unlike albinism, it is caused by a reduction in all types of skin pigment not just melanin.” I also did a slight amount of research online and discovered that a leucistic Burrowing Owl was described in a 1984 research paper so my discovery is not the first, but very exciting all the same.

I have included a few photos of the leucistic Burrowing Owl along with a few photos of what you would normally see in the field. Enjoy!

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Don Bransford: This fourth-generation family farmer has grown rice in Colusa County since 1980. Don has a long history of service to the community and agriculture, including nearly 30 years on the Board of Trustees and Governing Board for the Colusa Unified School District. He currently serves as President of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District. Don’s interests include photography, as he enjoys capturing the majestic wildlife often seen in his rice fields. Don and his wife Diane have four children.