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Re: Leucistic Cardinal




On Mon, 28 May 2001 Beachisle@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Yesterday (29 May 2001) our Leucistic Cardinal returned to our feeders for 
> the third consecutive year. First appeared on 9 June 1999.
> 
> We feel that this is an unusual length of time for a bird of this type to 
> survive. Would anyone care to comment?

The longevity record for a banded cardinal in the wild is 15 years, 9
months (see http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/homepage/longvrec.htm).  
However, that's obviously not typical.  It's not unusual for smaller birds
like song sparrows to reach 4 and 5 years old.  I would guess it's not
unusual for Cardinals to hit 6 or 7 in the wild.

On another, semi-related note, I recently became foster parent to an
individual of one of the most beautiful of local bird species, the only
one that combines that beauty with exceptional intelligence and
personality.  I refer, of course to a European Starling.  Another Starling
that was a research subject in a lab I formerly worked in stayed on as a
pensioner/pet, and is now 18 years old!  This particular individual is in
definite decline, but still, don't unerestimate the ability of birds, even
small ones, to survive a long time.  A banded wild Mourning Dove lived
over 31 years. Makes you think twice when you look up at that bird sitting
on the wire.

Chris Hill
Conway, SC