For years there has been an almost completely white black-tailed godwit in the Mijzen polder. It is not an albino, because it has no red eyes, but it is striking. De Witte has just returned from his wintering area in Africa. Will he be able to raise young again this year?
In the green grass, such a white godwit is of course super striking. The meadow bird keepers in the Mijzen polder quickly noticed him. He was first seen in 2013 when he raised three cubs.
Leucism is the phenomenon in which hairs or feathers are white because of a lack of pigment. This is different from albinism, where no melanin is produced, which means that there is no pigment in the skin or in the eyes, which are often red. The white godwit is just different. It does have pigment in some feathers, but because most feathers are white or almost white, the bird stands out as a ‘white’ black-tailed godwit.
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In recent years, De Witte has been unable to seduce a female. Perhaps he is a bit too different in color for the taste of the ladies. It does not prevent the white from taking on his role in air force. Every time a bird of prey, crow, gull, heron or other chick robber flies over, all meadow birds go into the air to chase the robber away. De Witte is enthusiastically participating in this, as can be seen in the photo. Even though he doesn’t have a boy of his own that year.
De Witte is now courting in his familiar territory. We keep our fingers crossed for him.
In the photos below you can see the white godwit with a young that can already fly. De Witte also watches over his youngsters in the Mijzen polder.