August 05, 2009THEY say birds of a feather flock together - so it could be a lonely summer for this rare albino sparrow.
It was spotted by John Holmes in his garden in Heywood, Rochdale.
John, 61, said: "It was a big surprise. I didn't know what it was - I've never seen anything like it in my life.
"I'm not a twitcher by any means, I just enjoy watching the birds from my conservatory, but I showed the pictures to a friend who thought it was an albino sparrow.
"It was quite exciting and apparently they are quite rare and not many people get to see one."
Albinism describes birds in which some or all of the normal pigmentation is missing. It is most often inherited, but can be caused by other factors.
True albinos lack colouring in all feathers and soft parts. Partial albinism is caused by the failure of pigmentation to reach certain feathers.
A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the sparrow was either albino or leucistic - birds that are abnormally pale or washed out, although the normal pattern and colour of the plumage is discernible.
He said: "Albino and leucistic birds are a pretty unusual sight as they are quite rare in the first place and their conspicuous colouring means they are more likely to be killed by predators.
"Albinos have a particularly raw deal as they often have poor eyesight and hearing, and are sometimes shunned by other birds of the same species, making it difficult for them to find a mate."
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1130125_spotted_albino_sparrow
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