Rare Albino Birds Spotted in Britain

White, or albino, birds are some of the rarest wildlife found in Britain. Their unusual colour has made them popular birds among the general public. Some recent reports of albino birds are listed below.

An albino Robin from in in Bridford Devon “has been forced to lead a solitary life without a mate for the last four years as males do not recognise her without the iconic red breast.”.

Other white Robins were reported nearby. “There were two about a mile apart on the Tarka Trail, and there was another in Lelant, Cornwall” (Daily Mail - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/Rare-albino-bird-unable-mate-…).

“A super-rare white blackbird has been spotted at Waitrose in Dorset, with experts warning that its appearance makes it stand out to predators”.

“White blackbirds often live short lives because the white skin makes them susceptible to being killed by predators”

“It comes after last month a dog walker was left bamboozled this festive season after he captured footage of a rare Albino Pheasant strolling around a British garden”.

“The bird was brazenly looking round the woodland area while Brian Cave was taking his dog for a walk in Newquay, Cornwall”.

“The British Trust for Ornithology...said the sighting was extremely rare...It is thought that they are a prime target for hunters due to their colour, but the registered charity said most 'die soon after fledging, primarily as a consequence of their poor eyesight, and albino birds are not thought to progress to adulthood in the wild'.

(Daily Mail - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/Super-rare-WHITE-blackbird-sp…).

“A rare white-coloured kite has been spotted in Powys” in Wales. “However, it is unclear whether it is a leucist (white red kite), of which there are only about six in Wales, or a kite with albinism”(BBC – bbc.com/news/uk-wales-47554846).

A white house Sparrow was spotted the village of Westonzoyland in Somerset in 2018.

An “albino Peacock, called Bertie “ keeps spooking the locals as he wanders the tiny village of Handcross in West Sussex on the hunt for a girlfriend”.

“Every year, during peacock mating season, Bertie makes the mile-long pilgrimage from his home to a neighbouring village - where he goes from house-to-house in a bid to find love”. “Bertie hopes to attract a mate by fanning his beautiful white feathers and dancing, despite there being no peahens within several miles of Handcross” (Daily Mail - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/The-one-million-bird-Rare-alb…).

A rare white Jackdaw was seen in at Aberglasney Gardens in Carmarthenshire, South Wales (Daily Mail - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/…/Rare-albino-jackdaw-sends-bir…).

Sadly, the white jackdaw was “killed by other black-feathered jackdaws...Apparently, it is quite common for other birds to turn on albinos like this” (ITV - https://www.itv.com/…/rare-albino-jackdaw-killed-by-other-…/).

A “sighting of a leucistic mallard hen, Monday, near Lasalle Park Pier Monday was a rare one"

"The female mallard is commonly brown with black spotting whereas this leucistic hen is predominantly white with brown spots. Her bill is also devoid of its normal yellow pigment and her feet are much less orange than others”..

“Leucistic mallards are not common, are Tÿs Theijmeijer, Head of Natural Lands at the RBG said. "I have never seen one like this and I have observed 10,000 plus mallard ducks over the years” (Inside Hamilton - https://www.insidehalton.com/…/9808163-rare-leucistic-mall…/).

Some reports of strange coloured birds have another explanation for their appearance. Vinny the seagull was brought to Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital “completely covered in curry”.

“Locals had found and rescued a flightless orange bird and brought it to the clinic, where workers soon realized that it was just a seagull in desperate need of a bath. "He had somehow gotten himself covered in curry or turmeric!" (Vice - https://www.vice.com/…/a-rare-bird-seen-in-england-was-a-se…

).