Updated 24 May 2019, 5:09am
A "one-in-a-million" albino
magpie has been found living in Tasmania's north.
Key points:
Keepers say the magpie would not
survive in the wild because its white coat would make it a target for predators
The bird is "an absolute
character" and "prefers to be handfed despite being able to feed
himself"
Experts say there are no accurate
statistics that show how common albinism is in birds, but that social media has
helped draw our attention to uncommon plumages
Instead of making its home in a
suburban backyard, the unnamed bird lives alongside a yellow-tailed black
cockatoo in the Trowunna Wildlife Park.
The young male was handed in as a
fledgling bird late last year, and has been unable to be released into the
wild.
"It was found at the base of a
tree with no possibility of getting back to the nest," operations manager
Darren Rumble said.
"As soon as we had the bird
brought in, we knew we'd be taking care of him for his whole life — if we let
him go, he won't last more than a day."
Due to the
albino magpie's white pigmentation, Mr Rumble said it was susceptible to a high
rate of predation.
"He'd be a prime target for crows
or any other bird of prey," he said.
"He is a genuine albino and the
statistics around a genuine albino magpie are around one in a million.
"You do see other forms of colour
dysmorphia called leucism but that's a dilution of the dark pigment which can
go into a creamy colour of the feathers, but the bird will still have normal
coloured legs, beak and eyes.
"He's got the total absence of the
pigment."
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