A Piebald White-tailed Deer

Running an errand recently, I sighted a small herd of White-tailed deer that included a rare single piebald. Piebald deer have a coloration pattern of white and brown, similar to a pinto pony. Sometimes they appear almost entirely white.

Piebaldness occurs due to genetic variations and not due to parasites or illness.

Contrary to popular belief, a piebald deer is not a cross between a normal White-tailed deer and an albino. An albino deer has pink eyes, a pink nose, and pinkish hooves, whereas a piebald deer has normal brown eyes and nose with black hooves like the normal White-tailed.

Though rare, piebald deer are more common than the white, albino, or the extremely rare melanistic (black) deer. Scientists say that less than one percent of White-tailed deer in a herd carry the genetic defect, and fewer yet exhibit the piebald traits.

This is a new wildlife sighting for me, so you know I was thrilled and had to share!

Tags: Deer, Delaware, nature, photo, photographs, photography, photos, piebald, rare sighting, white-tailed

31 thoughts on “A Piebald White-tailed Deer”

lavanyaprakash on 01/13/2017 at 10:20 PM said:

Wow! Beautiful pictures. Deers are such graceful animals 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/13/2017 at 10:53 PM said:
  
  Thank you! They are graceful 🙂
  
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avian101 on 01/13/2017 at 10:29 PM said:

Nice captures Donna! 🙂

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/13/2017 at 10:54 PM said:
  
  Thanks HJ! 🙂
  
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1nmbirder on 01/13/2017 at 11:49 PM said:

So cool!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/14/2017 at 1:58 PM said:
  
  Thanks!
  
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aussiebirder on 01/14/2017 at 5:54 AM said:

How lovely Donna, we have a wallaby in Tasmania which has genetic difference that is white, and not albino. Very similar gene expression.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/14/2017 at 2:14 PM said:
  
  Thanks Ashley! I had heard there was a piebald locally here at my daughter’s but never in my dreams would I have thought to spot it. 🙂 There is also an albino nearby also, so I’ve got my eyes peeled for him when I’m in that area!
  
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Wendy Duckett on 01/14/2017 at 9:33 AM said:

Absolutely awesome!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/14/2017 at 2:14 PM said:
  
  Thanks Wendy!
  
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Susan Hale on 01/14/2017 at 10:08 AM said:

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing. I have seen an albino deer, but never a piebald. The albino was in the Prospect Bay community several years ago, and apparenlty was a ‘regular’ in the neighborhood.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/14/2017 at 2:15 PM said:
  
  Thanks Susan! I would love to see an albino. There is one of them here locally also, so I’m keeping an eye for him!
  
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neihtn2012 on 01/14/2017 at 3:26 PM said:

A nice encounter, and thank you for sharing the images!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/14/2017 at 5:40 PM said:
  
  Thanks Hien! I was surprised and excited, so glad I had my camera with me. 🙂
  
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Gunta on 01/14/2017 at 9:19 PM said:

Very thrilling indeed! I’ve never ever seen one and I’ve lived in quite a few places where deer are frequent visitors.

We spotted a hummingbird at our feeder that had strange white patterns on its side. I never did get a really decent shot of it. Seemed like it was more skittish than the others. Or perhaps it was just molting? Then again there are times when Bubba looks like he has white sides, but I suspect it’s his belly feathers being blown about by the wind.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/16/2017 at 8:32 PM said:
  
  Thanks Gunta! I just did a search for ‘piebald hummingbird’. Lo & behold, there is a piebald hummingbird, so maybe you did see one! Do a search too. Are those images of what you saw?? I bet so! 🙂
  
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paintdigi on 01/15/2017 at 5:06 AM said:

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Good posts, beautiful blog.
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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/16/2017 at 8:38 PM said:
  
  Thanks PD! Happy 2017 to you too!
  
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  - paintdigi on 01/17/2017 at 4:54 AM said:
    
    You’r welcome friend
    
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Tiny on 01/15/2017 at 12:55 PM said:

I have never seen a piebald deer. Thank you for sharing this beautiful sighting, Donna. I think the deer with the ‘defect’ is beautiful!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/16/2017 at 8:39 PM said:
  
  Thanks Helen! I agree with you, beautiful!
  
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Anonymous on 01/15/2017 at 4:01 PM said:

That’s so neat you got to see it! I saw an albino deer sometimes at Cape Henlopen State Park years ago whenever I went to the beach. Not sure if it’s still there but it was quite a sight!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/16/2017 at 8:40 PM said:
  
  Thanks! I would love to see an albino and have heard of one in the same area as this piebald deer. I’ve got my eyes scanning the fields each time I pass in the area. 🙂
  
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circadianreflections on 01/15/2017 at 11:54 PM said:

How exciting indeed! I’ve never seen one. These are real beauties!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/16/2017 at 8:41 PM said:
  
  Thanks Deborah! I agree, they are real beauties!
  
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  - circadianreflections on 01/16/2017 at 9:27 PM said:
    
    Maybe I’ll get lucky one day and see one or a family of them. In the meantime I’m grateful that you shared them here.
    
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    - bayphotosbydonna on 01/17/2017 at 8:45 PM said:
      
      Thanks Deborah! I hope you get the chance. 🙂
      
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quietsolopursuits on 01/16/2017 at 2:50 AM said:

Wow, what a beautiful animal!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/16/2017 at 8:41 PM said:
  
  Thanks Jerry! Quite a cool sighting for me!
  
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Lisa Rest on 01/16/2017 at 4:17 PM said:

Wow, how cool, Donna! I’ve never seen a piebald deer, wasn’t even on my radar. Thanks so much. And of course, why not a piebald deer?!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 01/16/2017 at 8:42 PM said:
  
  Thanks Lisa! I had never seen or heard of one before either. Makes it extra-special to discover something new, even at my age, lol. 🙂
  
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