White Christmas duck returns to Riverfront Park
She's back! A wood duck once again is bringing the "White Christmas" spirit to Riverfront park. Some have speculated it's an albino, others have suggested the duck with the pink eye rings is a leucistic bird in disguise. The bird often is seen feeding among mallards during late fall and winter in the Spokane River between the Opera House and Carousel. Wild wood ducks normally migrate from the Spokane-North Idaho area around mid-October. But local birding expert and breeder Dennis Dahlke provided the scoop on the white woodie. “This white duck is a captive bred female wood duck,” he said. “She is not albino, just a color variation. Belonged to a friend of ours. Coyotes helped her escape when they killed most of the other ducks in that pen during winter (2009-2010).” The woody is smaller than the mallards she paddles around with, but she holds her own — she’s not afraid to take after bigger birds that get in her way. Back for at least the third year, she's clearly a survivor.
Section:Gallery
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A white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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A white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel. Notice the hood evident in this photo.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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A white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel. This photo illustrates its size among mallards.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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A white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel. This photo shows the white duck being agressive toward larger mallards. Indeed, the white duck stood up to everyone in the crowd.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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A white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel. This photo shows the white duck being agressive toward larger mallards. Indeed, the white duck stood up to everyone in the crowd.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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A white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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A white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel. This photo shows how the mallards and other puddle or dabbling ducks bob their heads down and tails up to feed below the water surface.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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Widgeons swim ahead of a white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, has been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
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The white wood duck, possibly leucistic rather than albino, that's been among the waterfowl making a home in Riverfront Park near the Carousel, seems to take life in stride. Local birders documented what they believe was a white wood duck in Riverfront Park last year. This could be the same bird. It also could have originated as a captive-bred bird.
Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review