The black AND white bird! Wildlife lover, 62, stunned after discovering rare blackbird with 'albino' stripes

Twitcher Kim Oliver pictured the unusual bird in Coventry rummaging for food

The bird's colourings are the result of a rare plumage condition called leucism

The defect has been spotted in a number of British bird species 

By HARRY PETTIT FOR MAILONLINE 

PUBLISHED: 13:52, 26 October 2018 | UPDATED: 14:07, 26 October 2018

A wildlife-lover was left stunned after discovering a rare blackbird near his home with both black and white markings.

Twitcher Kim Oliver, 62, pictured the unusual bird rummaging for food in autumn leaves on a footpath near a busy road in Coventry.

The retired photographer said he has never seen a bird like it in over 50 years of bird watching.

Rather than being albino, the blackbird's striking colourings are believed to be the result of a rare plumage condition called leucism.

The defect has been spotted in many British birds, but almost half of all reported cases have been blackbirds.

A wildlife-lover was left stunned after discovering a rare blackbird near his home - with both black and white markings

Mr Oliver first spotted the bird last week while walking near his home in Binley, Coventry, and said it took three visits before the bird started to recognise him and not fly off.

The curious creature became so tame on his final visit that it hopped over to him so he could capture these amazing images. 

Mr Oliver said the stunning bird reminded him of a Dalmatian dog and was one of the most unusual he had come across in his five decades of bird watching.

He added: 'I have never seen, yet alone heard of, this type of blackbird. Albino yes, but not like this.

'It looks more white than black depending on the angle and it took me three visits to confirm exactly what it was. 

'It is incredibly striking. It's like a Dalmatian version of a blackbird. I've heard of albino birds but these markings were different.'

It is not known why the leucism affects blackbirds in this way- but some experts believe it could down to stress, ageing or a genetic disorder.

Ornothologist Paul Stancliffe, from the The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), said: 'To see a blackbird with the odd white feather is not that unheard of but the more white you see the more rare it becomes.

'There are only two or three reports a year of white blackbirds, such as this so it is rather uncommon.

'There are several theories as to why leucism occurs but nobody knows for sure.

Read on and watch video  

What part of blackbird don't you understand? Couple are amazed to find an extremely rare WHITE version of the bird in their garden

Michael and Joan Parkinson spotted the albino blackbird in their garden

Couple, from Nottinghamshire, originally thought the bird was a seagull

Rare blackbird has been flying by garden on a daily basis to eat and wash

By Alex Matthews For Mailonline

Published: 15:17, 6 February 2017 | Updated: 15:45, 6 February 2017

A couple were stunned when they spotted a rare albino blackbird in their back garden.

Michael, 77, and Joan Parkinson, 69, couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the bird perched in their garden in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire.

But now the unusual visitor regularly flies by to eat and wash.

In an effort to tempt the bird back, the couple have left sultanas in different spots in their garden.

Video footage captured by Mr Parkinson shows the bird, which is almost completely white with a black tail, flying around and bathing itself in a mini pond.

Mr Parkinson said: 'I first saw it last August. We have a summer house in the garden and we were having lunch.

'My wife went into fetch something and I thought it was a baby seagull.

'She said 'it can't be' and then two to three weeks later she saw it. It has started to become a regular visitor to our garden.

Mr Parkinson thought the bird was a baby seagull at first but later discovered it was a rare breed of blackbird

'We left food at various spots and set the iPhone up and made a video.'

Mrs Parkinson added: 'My husband thought it was a seagull at first.

'But then one day it came onto the water feature and I thought it had to be a blackbird.

'It has a jet black tail and has an orange beak which gave it away.

'And it has a really loud squark on it too, it is so loud that we can hear it from inside the house.

'We see him every day if we are in, he is always flying into the garden for some food and to have a bath.'

Read more and watch video:

Rare white blackbird spotted in North Devon

20:09 20 April 2016

Tony Gussin

A rare albino blackbird has been spotted at Hatherleigh.

The ‘white blackbird’ was discovered by Devon Wildlife Trust’s Jo Pullin in her back garden. Jo, who has worked for the conservation charity for 14 years, said: “My children and I spotted something unusual in the undergrowth at the edge of our garden. We went to investigate and soon discovered it was a white blackbird. It looked like it had only just recently left the nest.

“I’ve seen birds with odd colouring before, but never a completely white blackbird. It really stood out and looked very vulnerable.”

The trust said albinism in birds is not unusual. It is caused when the normal pigmentation of feathers is missing. However, in most cases birds show patches of white feathers or dull colouring.

But what was rare about the case of the Hatherleigh blackbird was that it lacked all colour, even in its eyes. It belonged to a condition which is much more unusual and is known as being a true albino.

The story of the white blackbird may not have ended well. Its unusual looks may have meant it lived a short life. Steve Hussey from Devon Wildlife Trust said: “Being pure white isn’t a great survival strategy for a blackbird, particularly as a fledgling.

“When you’ve just left the nest you want to be as inconspicuous as possible to avoid the predatory eyes of cats and sparrowhawks. Added to this, part of the condition of albinos often means they have poor or little eyesight.

Source …

Christmas continues in Cramlington after blackbird lays eggs in tree

29 Jan 2014 11:30

Cramlington Town Council can not take down their Christmas tree because a bird has laid three eggs in it

A Northumberland town council has been left stumped after a blackbird took up residence in their Christmas tree.

The 12 days of Christmas may be long gone but the message appears to have missed the squatter in Cramlington which laid its eggs just before the tree was due to be taken down.

The bird and her three eggs have left council officials at a loss after they were discovered just as staff were about the remove the tree from outside Concordia Leisure Centre in theNorthumberland town.

After consulting the RSPB, the town council has been forced to tell irritated residents that there is nothing they can do about the tree.

Read on

... four colly birds

Yes, you read that right. Colly birds, not calling birds.

Welcome once again to our 12 days of Christmas. So what is this about colly birds then?

Well, the word 'colly' is an old word, related to one still in use, colliery. That is, a coal mine. Colly means as black as coal. So a colly bird is in fact a blackbird. Which also sings nicely, and hence would justify as a calling bird. So I guess it works out ok after all.

Blackbirds are many people's favourite garden bird. The jet black male and chocolatey brown female are regular visitors to gardens. Although they are not really agile enough for most hanging feeders, they are quite happy to use bird tables or to eat off the ground. especially important when the ground is frozen and cold, sending earthworms deep into the earth and beyond their reach. If you buy mealworms, especially live ones, you can make a firm friend from your blackbird. I have heard tell of them even coming into the house to pester homeowners to give them extra helpings!

Continued

Parti-coloured Blackbird - From Richard Muirhead: