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Image 1 of 1
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Image 1 of 1
This pale magpie was seen around our neighbourhood many times in the summer of 2025, but it’s unusually hard to photograph. Its light colouring isn’t albinism—it's leucism, a genetic condition that reduces pigment in the feathers while keeping the eyes dark. Leucistic magpies stand out visually, and because magpies are highly social and hierarchical, birds that look different are often picked on or pushed out by their own family groups.
This one behaved exactly as expected: skittish, quick to retreat, and likely keeping to the edges of the flock. After many brief sightings, where I startled it, I finally managed to capture this photo during a rare moment when it paused long enough to be seen clearly.
This pale magpie was seen around our neighbourhood many times in the summer of 2025, but it’s unusually hard to photograph. Its light colouring isn’t albinism—it's leucism, a genetic condition that reduces pigment in the feathers while keeping the eyes dark. Leucistic magpies stand out visually, and because magpies are highly social and hierarchical, birds that look different are often picked on or pushed out by their own family groups.
This one behaved exactly as expected: skittish, quick to retreat, and likely keeping to the edges of the flock. After many brief sightings, where I startled it, I finally managed to capture this photo during a rare moment when it paused long enough to be seen clearly.