A rare white magpie is turning heads in West Donegal.
The unusual bird has been spotted in recent weeks in Gaoth Dobhair.
The bird is not a complete albino but is leucistic which means it is a partial albino.
Local man Aodán O Cearbhaill first spotted the bird with other normal-coloured magpies in the Carrickataskin area.
“My father keeps hens and he was hanging about there looking for scraps. I thought it was very unusual-looking,” he said.
Niall Hatch of Birdwatch Ireland viewed pictures of the bird and said it is very rare.
“I have never seen anything like it and it is very rare indeed. It’s not a rare breed obviously but it is nonetheless very unusual,” he said.
The magpie with another normal bird of the same species.
However, the ornithologist had a warning for anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the bird to get there quickly.
“The problem with albino or leucistic birds is that they stand out and make themselves a greater target for predators including other magpies because they are different so it might not be around for long.
“It would be interesting to see if this bird breeds and what its offspring look like. But overall it is certainly very rare,” he said.
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