31 January 2018
Have you ever seen a distant white raptor and hoped it was a snowy owl or gyrfalcon? I have, but I’m usually wrong. Both species are rare and neither is here in spring or summer.
Snowy owls and gyrfalcons only visit Pennsylvania in late fall or winter. In most years snowies don’t come to the Pittsburgh area at all (this year is an exception) and gyrfalcons are never here. In over 100 years only 41 gyrfalcons were reported statewide (see *1 below).
And yet we still see an occasional rare white raptor, even in the summer. What hawk is this? In nearly every case it’s a leucistic red-tailed hawk.
“Leucism is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal resulting in white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales or cuticle, but not the eyes.” (quoted from Wikipedia). The condition is rare but red-tails are our most common hawk so it’s not surprising to find it in a numerous population.
The whiteness varies from hawk to hawk and even from year to year. Sometimes leucistic red-tails are spotted brown, sometimes they’re entirely white. Pat Gaines photographed a speckled one in Berthoud, Colorado this winter (above) and an all-white bird in North Denver in 2010 (below). Neither bird is albino because its eyes are the normal color, not pink.
Even the all-white birds have at least one normally-colored feather. It’s a tail feather on this hawk, as shown in Pat’s photo below.
So what makes them white?
A study of color aberrations among Indian birds listed six reasons for pale or white feathers. (Download the report here: How common is albinism really? Colour aberrations in Indian birds reviewed.)
- Albino (pink eyes) is a hereditary pigment error. Albinos are rarely seen because they die young due to poor eyesight.
- Leucism (normal eyes) is a hereditary lack of both melanin pigments. Some feathers are normal color.
- Progressive graying. Oh my! A few birds turn “gray” as they age, becoming progressively whiter as they molt each year.
- Brown. Normally black feathers are brown and sensitive to light so they bleach out in the sun. This mutation is only expressed in females.
- Dilution. Black feathers are silvery gray. Therefore the bird looks pale.
- Ino is like albino but not as severe. The bird does not have pink eyes and thus lives longer than a true albino.
Even so, we can’t know why each bird is white without a lot of study.
So who is that white hawk in Pennsylvania? It’s probably a leucistic red-tailed hawk.
(photos by Pat Gaines)
UPDATE 15 May 2024. An excellent story about a leucistic red-tailed hawk in southwestern PA: Pittsburgh Quarterly: What Was That White Bird?
(*1) How rare are gyrfalcons in PA? In 1982 and 1984, DVOC’s Cassinia analyzed all the reports of gyrfalcons in Pennsylvania. From the mid 1870’s to 1984 only 41 were confirmed: Gyrfalcon Records in Pennsylvania, Part One, 1982 and Gyrfalcon Records in Pennsylvania, Part Two, 1984. Most reports were in Schuykill, Carbon, Berks, Lehigh and Lancaster counties with only 2 reports at Presque Isle, Erie County (there have been more since then). As of 1984, the most recent sighting of a gyrfalcon in Pittsburgh’s 11-county metro area was 1 bird in Westmoreland County in January 1913.
Fascinating clarification of a subject about which many seem uncertain. Regarding gyrfalcon sightings, would my sightings of a gut in the late 1980’s be of interest to anyone in your opinion? This bird seemed to be hanging out nearby for at least a month, I observed it a half dozen or more times in the proximity of two dairy farms that each had a pigeon population, our farm was about halfway between those two. (At the time I didn’t realize how unusual this was or I would have realized better how to share the information with interested parties in a more timely fashion.)
Doug, I don’t know who you could notify except, perhaps, contact the authors of the paper about gyrfalcons (see link) or DVOC.org that published the 1984 paper.
Spotted one today Eastern side of Ohio
Interesting
I saw a white hawk (?) today in SE PA. I wasn’t sure what it was exactly, hawk or possibly gyrfalcon, but knew it was special! Thanks for this article as I think this is what it is.
I love raptors. I saw an all white bird of prey in Poughkeepsie NY on 3/19/18 . Not sure what it was , so I started this web querie. Cool.
I have seen what appears to be a white hawk 2 times in the last 3 days. Beautiful!
I live in south NJ, I saw what appeared to be a white with golden color Hawk! Small birds around this one quite big nest we’re going crazy! So was I wishing I had my phone!
Greenville SC. State Park Road mid morning!
These wonderful pictures and detailed information definitely help explain what I saw while driving on Rt 168 in Eastern NC. last week.
Myself, spending much time in the woods and field, I know a hawk when I see one, had just never seen or heard of a white one ( a leucistic red tail). Knew that it was not an owl, due to its head and chest features, wasn’t certain if it could be a falcon, have not seen a gryfalcon. Just knew that it was a white hawk! Good to know and can’t wait for my next encounter, it was really cool! But this encounter was 51 yrs in the making, lol.
I just seen one of them and hear in Springfield Missouri the first ever. didn’t know what it was at first. beautiful bird
I tried posting a pic of a white hawk that is nesting near my home in western Wyoming
but was denied. It has been around for several years and currently has two chicks. It is definitely a leucitic red tail hawk.
I just saw what I also thought was a white hawk. A very nice encounter for me also. I hope to have another, and hopefully with camera or phone in hand. I live in Opelika Al.
We seen one just outside of Custer South Dakota. He was beautiful. Mostly white with brown on his back and some tail feathers . We seen him twice in the same area.
I spotted a pure white raptor today while traveling on the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike just outside of Quakertown, PA this morning. It was clear to me to be a red tailed hawk. I never considered seeing a pure white one. This page was very helpful in understanding what I was fortunate enough to witness. Truly awe inspiring.
Thanks definitely a red tail hawk see him last year around the same time I lived in Pittsburg,California. He hangs out in a very tall old Christmas tree I feed all the birds and the squirrels.
I saw a large white Hawk yesterday in my yard yesterday, I first thought it was an exotic bird that escaped from someones home. It was magical.
I have seen an all white raptor in Piscataway, New Jersey, on the Rutgers University Busch campus during the spring/ summer months for the past 2 years. It’s absolutely gorgeous! I did get a picture, but it’s not a very good one because every time I pull over when I see it perched on a pole or in a tree by the side of the road, it flies away. Any other reports of this bird in the area?
Karen Estok, perhaps it’s a leucistic red-tailed hawk.
We live in Gap, PA. high up the white pine tree in our back yard ( about 100 ft) there is an eagle-like nest, probably about 20 to 24 inches in diameter. Each year we can see the fledglings flopping in the next but have never seen the parents. Sunday, I was fortunate enough to note one exposed for all to see on a branch next to the nest. Inscrutable, it’s body is probably 12 inches long on the branch, fluffed to perhaps 7 inches wide, White under- tail extends below the branch about 5 inches. The chest is white with a belt of white and brown feathers. Head puffed up to a ball about 4 inches wide, deep-set huge eyes. Brown beak. When it turns slightly what appears to be brown feathers on the upper wing and back can be briefly noted.
He sat on the branch all afternoon, moving only his foot as blue jays harranged at him, flying into his chest and then away. For days those blue jays have been attacking the nest in a sort of a game, this was the first time we have seen the full raptor itself. though we knew it was coming and going into the nest, as was its mate.
Our question is whether this white-tailed, round-faced, brown-headed raptor is a red-tailed hawk or an owl? We know we have both in the woods but are intrigued with the closeness of this nest and its owners.
My guess, based on your description, is that it is either a red-tailed hawk, a red-shouldered hawk or a barred owl. If it has “horns” it could be a great horned owl.
I live here in Tennessee, around Winchester. While bush hogging yesterday, and today there was a white hawk hunting on the grounds that I was bush hogging. What a beautiful bird!
I saw a white hawk today beautiful
We drove by one in Grantsburg, Wi yesterday. We both gasped and turned the car around to take a photo. She flew off as we pulled the car up to get a photo. So beautiful! The white was so bright.
June 12 2020 about 3:15PM Colorado, going Southbound on Kipling Pkway, Pure White Raptor. The wings did not fit an Owl, it was a hawk wing, could not stop, but against the blue sky, heat in the 90’s, I was struck for I have never seen a solid white Hawk.
We have Peregrines, white owls – mostly in the winter.
have never seen a pure, solid white raptor, the wingspan was not great, it was a hawk span – could not see any tail colors other than white. It was beautiful as it climbed ?? seeking food against a solid Colorado blue sky..
2 months ago there was a Snow White bird circling over i40/30 interchange. I live on park hill and there’s a lot of wild life. I only saw it 4 times, but the last time I thought it had landed on the roof of my deck, after a minute I tapped on ceiling with a broom just to see. It flew off about 5 ft over my head. Completely gleaming white on body with golden tufts belly. I was sure it was a hawk, but called several agencies who couldn’t identify. Have been searching and finally happened upon this site. Absolutely stunning. Haven’t seen since.
Nov. 19 2020 While driving home yesterday I saw what I think was a red tailed hawk perched in a roadside tree in the Jeffersonville, Pa area. It looked totally white and was the first for me in 83 yrs. It wasn’t an owl head not large enough. This was a half mile from my condo so I will drive by where I spotted him hoping it could be a favorite perch. I wish I had circled around parked and taken a picture.
We saw what we initially thought was a snowy owl outside Emporium, PA but discovered it looked much like a red tailed hawk and there was another red tail with it.
Glad to see this post! Thanks for the information.
I saw a White bird with a rapter like smaller head, but larger then a pidgin and wing style of a hawk. I was deer hunting, high in a tree in heavy woodland in eastern Minnesota near a small lake. This bird flew past me close by and I could see what it was not but could not ID it. What a beauty. Not an owl or gull and never seen befor.
I came here from a Google search. I’ve been seeing a couple of birds like this at Frances Slocum Lake in Pennsylvania. I’d imagine it’s more rare to see two leucistic red-tailed hawks at the same time and not sure if that’s what they are. They are soaring and hunting fish most of the time. There is also a nice population of bald eagles that frequent the area at the same time and I’ve seen these birds chase the eagles off. They are almost entirely white, but have lighter grey on top side of wings.
Sounds like osprey
I saw on of This white hawk in my backyard Connecticut 12/26/2020
My husband and I were traveling north on RT 31 , about 2/3 up the state, in Indiana and a solid white hawk flew from a tree, over the road in front of us. I was so amazed, I researched and found this article. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I felt truly blessed to be able to see one of God’s glorious creatures.
I had my students outside yesterday in Limerick, PA and I believe we saw two of these hawks. So beautiful! We just stopped our activity and watched.
Jody P – I saw a fabulous leucistic red tailed hawk flying over the northeast extension of the PA turnpike near the Quakertown interchange on 3/8/2021. Maybe it was one of your birds from Limerick PA (about 20 miles away).
We have two leucistic red tailed hawks living in our pasture in North central Missouri. They have been here for more than two years now. They are really big!
4/28/2021. Today saw a white hawk gliding on air currents over treetops, about 40-50 ft high. Then, it landed on an upper branch and sat there about 10 minutes. A lot of birds, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks in this area. A greenway in Brookline, MA., adjacent to Boston. First time I saw a white hawk, there have been other hawks in the area. I was able to look at him through high powered binoculars and see a close up of its normal colored eyes. White underside feathers with some small brown spots on topside.
I just saw one of these white Hawks fly over my house in Northampton, MA and I had to Google it because I had never seen one before! It was beautiful! He had another smaller bird chasing it so he didn’t stick around long enough to get a picture. I do hope he comes back! This is the second time this year I’ve had an unidentified bird siting. I still haven’t figured out what the first one was, but thanks to this site, I now know there are white hawks out there! Thanks!! I’ll keep looking!!
Wayne County Pennsylvania, large 99% white bird of prey this morn. Looked larger than a red tail but I guess the lack of pigmentation could throw off perception. Beautiful bird for sure. Hope to see it again.
I saw a white hawk, in Lompoc Ca. Looked slightly larger than a red-tail. The feathers were tipped with a slightly darker black/gray. It was in the fall, the ocean was rough and several seagulls were away from the ocean. It was not a seagull. Several seagulls were eating out of the farmer’s recently plowed field. Probably to eat worms. The hawk had a yellow beak and a band on it’s leg. Then the next year and the next. He was on the same light pole each time. I haven’t seen it for a few years. Beautiful bird, saw it through my 10 power binoculars, studied it for 5-10 minutes.
We have a couple of leustitic red tails – yes, both – who’ve lived in one of our tall Doug fir trees for at least 8 years now, as they were here prior to our moving here then. We abut the Gifford Pinchot forest in the Cascade foothills. Gorgeous birds, and very large, their nest is seeable in winter when the maples and birch wither away. It’s the size of an eagle’s nest. They’ve never gone after our chickens, who roam their enclosures daily. They do hunt the area but they avoid our property, it’s quite odd, except humans are here. I’ve had one set just above an upstairs bay window, and I was just gazing out at the view of the valley below, when it slowly just took off, dropping to the middle of that window and then slowly, majestically, soaring out into that valley, wings fully spread, then turning, and gliding back over my head! It was just after we’d moved here, and I felt quite honoured! 🙂
Saw a white hawk as we were zipping along the highway in MS. From a distance I saw something white in a tree and thought it might be an old large hornets nest. As we got closer I was amazed to see it was a white hawk. No way to get a photo, as we were doing 70 along with the traffic. Second time I have been amazed by nature. The first was seeing a piebald deer. Both have been a blessing…
I spotted a large white hawk sitting in the top of a dead tree near Perkins, OK yesterday as we were driving to town from the farm. I made my husband turn around and go back so I could gt a picture. He flew shortly after I snapped it but I wasn’t able to adjust fast enough to get a pic of him in flight but we watched him soar into the distance and had no doubt he was a hawk! It was an awesome sight!!! This was near the Iowa Indian Nation, a truly significant experience!
Saw a white red tail today rt 79 north 1-1/2 miles before the Geneva exit Made uturn went back was definitely a lecaustic red tail
Though it escaped from someone. Was about 100 ft away before he flew Of all days to not have phone He was 20 ft back from road
I saw a white hawk with grey stripes on underside of wing spread, very large! In Ann Arbor was circling over a lake and then landed upon the medical center window ledge as I sat there! Awesome.
I’ve been watching one in my neighborhood, Stonington, CT, for the past two days…what a treat! ALL WHITE with one small tuft of black on the backside of its head. Beautiful!
Spotted an all white raptor today . I’m assuming it was a Red Tail Hawk … The bird had the body type of a hawk. I spotted the bird along Taconic State Parkway around Red Hook in a clump of gray trees high up where the leaves use to be but now the trees are bare so he stood out . Very cool !!!!
beautiful birds
saw one after my son died on the farm I was on when he passed on another
saw one one year later nearby
Just saw a white hawk so. Cool
Saw an all white hawk of some kind.
Today 5/15/22. 50 feet from me flew though my back yard. I’m located in 19504 zip code between Reading and Allentown Pa.
I was laying out by the pool and looking up I saw a white hawk which now I understand it’s a red tail hawk circling around looking at me-when he started to leave I yelled come back-come back he turned around and came back and just hovered over me. I was so thrilled the fact that I saw a white hawk but the fact that he or she came back there was a connection for sure
I saw a white hawk 8/27/2022 in St. Charles, MO. He was high on top of a tree. I took a photo but the hawk is very far away.
I saw a white hawk in WNY yesterday, near PA border. From Sibleys identification I determined it to be some sort of falcon. Amazing!
I saw a red tailed hawk in Freestone County, Texas a week ago. It was nearly all white but had the distinctive “red” tail. Beautiful.
Just saw a white hawk in southern NH. Photo showed a sm amt darker colorization un chest. Will assume its a redtail for now. So gorgeous and unexpected!
Have seen a hawk, white with a few dark spots. Have seen it twice in the past couple months. I live just outside Hughesville PA. It hunts in the abandoned pine tree farm next door. It’s February 20th, 2023.
Amazed to see a white hawk flying through old town’s cottonwoods yesterday in Longmont, CO.
I saw a large white hawk today from my back porch. It was just swirling in the lovely morning breeze. To day is Saturday and not much traffic I hope I see it again. This is September 22023. I live in Virginia outside of Richmond
I just saw an albino hawk in North Richland Hills TX