Rare white puffin visits its black cousins off the Isles of Scilly

[Donna]

This rare white Atlantic puffin was seen playing with its more common black friends off the Isles of Scilly.

Barbara Fryer, from Umberleigh, Devon, who took the picture, said: “I’ve seen many puffin colonies and have never seen a white one before.� The bird — once considered mythical — is the result of leucism, in which colour pigments form but are diluted.

The bird expert Peter Robinson, who has worked on the BBC Springwatch programme and for the RSPB for 25 years, said the white puffin was extemely rare.

“I lived on the Isles of Scilly for 12 years and worked ringing puffins in Scotland for a season and have never even heard of a white puffin let alone seen one.

“It’s a stunning photograph and wonderful bird. The contrast between the orange bill and white feathers is particularly amazing,� he said.

Albinism is a genetic mutation that prevents the strong black pigment — melanin — from forming. With leucism, colour pigments form but are diluted.

Ms Fryer, who photographed the puffin from a boat, said: “We had been out every day that week taking photos of puffins and we saw the white one on the last day.

“It was lovely to see it swimming underwater and I am thrilled to have got the shots I wanted in quite difficult conditions.

“The white puffin was sitting on the water as we were floating near rocks, watching adults return to their nests to feed their young.

“It played around with the other puffins for about 15 minutes before flying away. They didn’t seem to mind its unusual colour and treated it like a good friend.�

Puffins are widely distributed across the North Atlantic for most of the year and only come ashore to breed.

[valhalla]

The bird — once considered mythical — is the result of leucism, in which colour pigments form but are diluted.

Albinism is a genetic mutation that prevents the strong black pigment — melanin — from forming. With leucism, colour pigments form but are diluted.

AND thanks to this group, I now know what leucism and albinism are 

[Wing Goose]

What a beautiful white puffin !  It is truly gorgeous.
         Lola