48 birdsandblooms.com AUGUST I SEPTEMBER 2020
Q An albino hummingbird came to visit. How
rare are birds like this? David Jones MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA
Q What type of flower is this? These wasps
and bees love them. Karen Rasco EVANSTON, ILLINOIS
ASK THE EXPERTS
Kenn and Kimberly: Every year there are a few reports
of hummingbirds that are partly or mostly white. These
birds lack most of the melanin and other pigments in
their feathers and are called leucistic. But the bird in your
photo appears to have the characteristics of a true albino:
completely white feathers, pink bill and feet, and even pink
eyes. Such true albinos are extremely rare. What a treat to
have this exceptional and beautiful bird visiting your feeders.
Melinda: As you have discovered, this mountain mint
(Pycnanthemum virginianum) really is a pollinator
favorite. It’s also host to several caterpillars,
and deer tend to leave it be. Hardy in Zones
3 to 7, it grows best in full sun and moist
soil. Native to wet meadows, this summer
to fall bloomer makes an excellent plant for
rain gardens and shoreline plantings. The
great black wasp visiting your plant aids
pollination but also helps manage harmful
garden pests like grasshoppers.
HANDY HELPERS For help identifying a plant, bird or butterf ly, get in touch with your
local university extension office. Or submit your photos and questions to our experts at
birdsandblooms.com/submit. They may give you an answer here in the magazine.
Q I saw this chipping
sparrow feed a much larger
baby bird. Is it common for
birds to feed other species?
Julia Worth WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS
Kenn and Kimberly: You’ve witnessed
an odd relationship in the bird world:
the result of brood parasitism by a
brown-headed cowbird. Cowbirds don’t
build nests or tend to their own young.
They employ what seems to be an unfair
strategy of laying eggs in the nests of
other birds, such as this chipping sparrow.
The adoptive adults care for the young,
unaware they aren’t its biological parents.
It can be tough to see a small songbird
feeding the much larger young cowbird,
but it’s very important not to interfere.
Cowbirds are a native species, protected
by law. They do create conservation
challenges for some species, such as
Kirtland’s warbler, but in general nature
manages to maintain a fair balance.