leucistic turkey albino great smoky mountains national park

Outsider Spots Rare Piebald Turkey in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In a first for this Outsider, an impressive piebald (not albino) turkey was spotted in Cades Cove of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Right off the bat, the odds of leucistic, piebald, or albino turkeys existing are incredibly rare. These large birds become even easier targets for predators if they’re born white, so one making it to adulthood is even rarer. There’s no definitive percentage, but think somewhere in the ballpark of 1 in every 10,000 to 100,000 turkeys are born with these white colorations (or lack of their traditional coloring).

While tracking and photographing black bears in the park this past week, I spotted this odd bird coming over the far west hills of Cades Cove. She’s a decent sized hen (female) and was pretty comfortable in her surroundings despite the large populations of coyotes and foxes in the park. So much so that I was able to snap a few photos from a distance:

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Piebald turkey spotted by Jon D. B. of Outsider on April 19, 2023. Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (Photo: Jon D. B., Outsider)

She’s not albino, as albino animals have a complete lack of coloration/pigmentation. Regardless, spotting her in the wild was an unexpected treat that made a fruitful trip even more-so.

What’s the Difference Between an Albino, Leucistic, or Piebald Turkey?

Leucistic animals can have irregular patches of white while keeping normal coloration elsewhere, which is the case with this turkey’s feathers and skin. She is about 50/50 split, which makes her piebald. If she were predominantly white, she would be leucistic.

In kind, piebald refers to a form of leucism and not a different condition altogether. When an animal features a patchwork of white-to-normal coloration, this is when piebald is the correct, defining term. This is also referred to as the “piebald effect” of leucism.

leucistic turkey albino great smoky mountains national park
Piebald turkey spotted by Jon D. B. of Outsider on April 19, 2023. Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (Photo: Jon D. B., Outsider)

Leucism itself is the result of a genetic imbalance or improper nutrition, which sets it apart from albinism. Albinism is a genetic condition resulting from mutations of the genes that produce melanin within an animal.

Melanin controls the pigmentation (or color) of an animal. Its absence makes their skin to feathers (or fur), claws, nails, eyes, and so-forth appear pale. In true albino animals, this typically manifests in a white body with pink-ish featues. Pink eyes, noses, claws, etc are usually present and prominent in true albinos.

Albino coloration is also present at birth. Leucism, however, can develop later in life and are the result of defects in pigment cells that arise during an animal’s development.

Reminder: Wildlife is Wild

As with all wildlife in the Smokies or elsewhere, it’s important to remember that wildlife is wild. We don’t typically think of turkeys as dangerous, but anyone who’s been on the wrong side of these large birds can and will tell you the opposite.

leucistic turkey albino great smoky mountains national park
Piebald turkey spotted by Jon D. B. of Outsider on April 19, 2023. (Photo: Jon D. B., Outsider)

Toms (males), specifically, can be extremely dangerous when they feel threatened. And the 1-to-2 inch spurs they have on the back of their legs can cause real damage. This woman, who was chased by a large turkey in Cades Cove, is apparently unaware of how aggressive they can be.

Approaching wildlife is also illegal in all national parks, and Great Smoky Mountains is no exception. When visiting, a distance of 50 yards must be maintained from all wildlife at all times. This keeps both visitors and the wildlife safe.