White blackbird lands in Hereford garden (From Hereford Times)

White blackbird lands in Hereford garden

8:00am Tuesday 2nd March 2010

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THIS little chap seems to have drawn the short straw in life – as a blackbird who was born mostly white.

The feathery creature, an albino of the animal world, was immediately recognised as a rarity by keen bird watcher Eileen Hackley when he stopped by her Hereford garden.

The albinistic male, as they are known, was snapped in Holmer on a few separate occasions by the Salvation Army Photography Club member before she contacted Tim Town at Herefordshire RSPB. Ms Hackley said: “They still mate apparently but the baby ones won’t have the white feathers.

“I rang Tim and he said to come round straight away with the photographs.”

Albinism is caused by a defective gene inherited from both parents and makes birds more conspicious to predators and sometimes causes difficulty in finding a mate.

The blackbird is among the most susceptible of British species but on the whole only a minute proportion of wild birds anywhere are albinistic.

Mr Town said: “There are different degress of albinism, ranging from all white to only a few white feathers on an otherwise normal coloured bird.

“Progressive albinism can also occur as a bird gets older, in the same way as people go grey.

“This had been recorded particularly in blackbirds.”

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