A bird with a very rare genetic mutation which makes its feathers white has been spotted in a Sussex garden. The creature, spotted by nine-year-old Sonny Kuehne, looks like a whole new species but is actually a common bird in the UK - a magpie. These birds are known for their vibrant black plumage and purplish-blue iridescent sheen on their wing feathers and a green gloss to the tail.
But this one seen in a garden in Hove is almost completely white. Sonny's grandad Terry Scott reported the sighting to the British Trust for Orinithology (BTO). Experts at the BTO confirmed this is what is known as a leucistic magpie and said it is very rare.
"Leucistic birds are different to albinos, which are all white and lack all pigment, so that their eyes are pink, along with bill and feet," a BTO spokesman told The Argus . A screen grab of the video showing the leucistic magpie in flight (Image: Sonny Kuehne) "Leucistic birds have reduced pigment, in the case of this magpie it is quite pronounced. "This type of aberration is more commonly seen in blackbirds and crows, where a few white feathers might be visible.
" READ MORE: Rare bird from Asia spotted in Sussex This magpie has the characteristic black eyes, beak and feet and small areas of black on the tips of the tail and wing feathers. Leucism has some impacts on birds, as the reduction of pigment can cause feathers to weaken and be more prone to wear, the BTO said. Nine-year-old Sonny Kuehne spotted the magpie and filmed it in flight (.