White and Albino Hummingbirds
Although somewhat rare in nature, there are indeed white hummingbirds! There are three types, a true Albino, and a Leucistic hummingbird ... and a mixture, known as Pied (or Piebald).
Melanin is important for hummingbirds as it dictates skin tone, eye color, feather strength, and ultraviolet sun protection. Less melanin produces a lighter color, while more melanin produces a darker color.
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Here at HummingbirdCentral, we have received numerous reports of white hummingbirds seen in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and in 2022. These reports were from the following locations (each documented with photos or videos):
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2021
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2020
2019
2018
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Albino Hummingbirds
An albino hummingbird features white feathers along with pink eyes, bill and feet. These hummingbirds are very rare, and are the result of a genetic mutation that stops the creation of any dark pigment. These hummingbirds lack melanin which equates to no color or pigmentation.
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Albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Carrol County, Maryland, July, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of M. Tegges) |
Leucistic Hummingbirds
Leucistic hummingbirds can produce some melanin, and have black eyes, bills and feet. Their feathers may be pure white, whitish, off-white, partially-white, tan, or gray instead of the normal colors for that species.
These are somewhat rare, but not as rare as the true albino hummingbird.
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Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Laurens, South Caroliana - August, 2021 Has stayed for 16 days at the home of Robyn Prince (Photo by Elaine Smith Photography ) |
Pied, or Piebald, Hummingbirds
The term "pied" or "piebald" is applied to bird plumage that has contrasting patches of bold color, usually black and white with clear edges.
Pied Hummingbirds have partial white and partial normal coloration.
Because it has some normal green or brown feathers, this hummingbird is referred to as being "pied" rather than leucistic.
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Pied Black-chinned Hummingbird sighted in Meers, Oklahoma, April, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Jones) |
More Photos of White Hummingbirds
 White Hummingbird Watsonville, CA, April 2022 (Photo by and courtesy of S. Hoffman) |
 Leucistic HummingbirdPegram, TN, June, 2022 (Photo by and courtesy of R. Adkins |
 Leucistic Anna's Hummingbird North Saanich, British Colfumbia, January, 2022 (Photo by and courtesy of G. Eckberg) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird Orangevale, CA, April, 2022 (Photo by and courtesy of P. Flores) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Springfield, Missouri, September, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of P. Lindsay) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Brentwood, Tennessee, September 1-9, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of K. Vanderkolk) |
 Leucistic Anna's Hummingbird Port Ludlow, WA, July 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of C. Aron) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Callawassie Island, SC, August, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Eckhardt) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird Katy, Texas, sighted for 7 days in Sept-October, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of B. Purser) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird Pearland, Texas, October 9, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of D. Martin) |
 Pied Hummingbird Fort Worth, TX, September, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of M. Parsley) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mt. Olive, MS, October, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of D. Madden) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Earleville, Maryland, September 13, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of A. Baldwin) |
 Leucistic male Anna's Hummingbird - Nicknamed "Cotton Ball" - Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia - February 24, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of A. Miller) |
 Pied Ruby-throated Hummingbird sighted in St. Francis, Minnesota, June, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Heifort) |
 Pied Ruby-throated Hummingbird sighted in Ponchatoula, LA, September, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of B. Migues) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Demopolis, Alabama, September 13, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of D. Wingate) |
 Leucistic female Anna's Hummingbird Hemet, California, February 26, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of K. Hoggatt) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird Beaverton, Oregon, July 11, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of C. Elings) |
 Albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird North of Murray, Iowa, September 8, 2021 Confirmed by Iowa DNR as an Albino (Photo by and courtesy of R. Griffith) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sautee Nacoochee, GA, September, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of B. Roper) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Lawrenceburg, KY, September, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Brooks) |
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White Hummingbird
Florissant, Colorado, July, 2021 (Photos by and courtesy of A. Bullis) |
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Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Red River County, Texas - September, 2020 (Photos by and courtesy of M. Storey) |
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![Leucistic hummingbird in Port Ludlow, Washington, August of 2020](images/white-hummingbirds/leucistic-annas-hummingbird-port-ludlow-wa-july-2021-02.jpg "\") Leucistic Hummingbird Port Ludlow, Washington, August, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of L. Larabee and M. Lum) |
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 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Missouri, September 14, 2018 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Simons) |
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 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Simms, Texas, September 24-25, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of C. Covarrubias) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sisterdale, Texas, September 25, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of R. Miklaw) |
 White Hummingbird Leakey, Texas, seen for several days in late June, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of T. Ikner) |
 Albino Ruby-throated Hummingbird Sardis, Mississippi, October 18, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of Randy and Bev Fullerton) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Poquoson, Virginia, August, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of C. Conrad) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird Carrboro, North Carolina, late July and August, 2020 (Photos by and courtesy of A. Smith) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird St. Peters, Missouri, September 2, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Galla) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Hopewell Junction NY, September 7, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Eckelman) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carrollton, Mississippi, August, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of T. Johnston) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Silver Spring, Maryland, June to August, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of C. McKown) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Hopkinsville, Kentucky, August 25, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of V. Garnett ) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Pea Ridge, Arkansas, August 31, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of N. Wilkening) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ashland City, Tennessee, August 25-26, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of M. Re’nell Scott) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Woodruff, WIsconsin, August, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of T. Wolfe) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird She makes no noise when she flies, and alternates between flowers and several feeders, resting in nearby trees between feedings. Other hummies (both male and female Broad-tailed and Black-chinned) try to chase her off quite a bit, but she manages to feed. She seemed very wary of humans. Kittredge, Colorado, August 2, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Graven) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Clinton, Louisiana, September, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of D. DeMoss, taken with a Canon T3i and a Sigma DG 150 to 500mm zoom lens) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Indianapolis, Indiana, September 15, 2019 Its eyes appear dark in photos, but in person they look redder (Photo by and courtesy of S. Jennermann) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Port Mouton, Nova Scotia - August, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of M. Sarty) |
 Pied Ruby-throated Hummingbird Hernando, Mississippi, June, 2020 (Photo by and courtesy of P. Stuart) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Arp, Texas, August 13, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of Brad R.) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Grasonville, Maryland, September 8, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Brown) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Winona, Texas, August 21, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of G. Graham) |
 Pied Ruby-throated Hummingbird Galatia, Illinois, August 20, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of D. Dudley) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird, probably an Anna's Seattle, WA - March to June of 2020, again in Feb 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of B. Newell) |
 Pied Ruby-throated Hummingbird Williamsburg, Virginia June, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of L. Kelly) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Southern Arkansas, August, 2018 (Photo by and courtesy of S. Edmonds) |
 White Leucistic Hummingbird Creswell, Oregon, July, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of B. Gabrio) |
 Leucistic Hummingbird Spokane, Washington, Summer of 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of K. Grieb |
 White Leucistic Hummingbird Whipple, Ohio, July, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of R. Burdette) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Shelby, North Carolina, July, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of K. Hamrick) |
 Ruby-throated Leucistic Hummingbird Suffolk, Virginia, August, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Pieroni ) |
 Ruby-throated Leucistic Hummingbird Delta, Alabama, August 25-28, 2021 (Photo by and courtesy of D. Tucker) |
 White Ruby-throated Hummingbird Missouri, September 14, 2018 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Simons) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Beltrami County, MN, August 15, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of J. Mathweg) |
 Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbird Canterbury, CT, August 17, 2019 (Photo by and courtesy of K. Tharel) |
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