Rare white swallow takes up residence in Whangarei garden

A rare white swallow has taken up residence in the garden of Whangarei resident Bushra Smith.

One swallow does not a summer make - which seems to be the case for a white swallow spotted in Whangarei whose pale feathers seem more suited to a snowy winter.

The white welcome swallow first appeared at Bushra Smith's farm in Kaigoose Valley three weeks ago and proved to be a rare sighting.

Robert Webb from Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre said it is "not impossible but quite uncommon" to see a white swallow.

It's estimated that only one in every 18,000 swallows will be born white. Ms Smith's husband has a keen interest in birdlife and was the first to notice the unusual bird that had settled at their farm.

Ms Smith also took notice of the "pure white bird" that she soon became very familiar with.

"When it flies, it looks magnificent. Such a pure white. It has really taken to our property," she said.

Their unique visitor has stuck around and regularly makes itself at home on their deck.

After weeks of watching the bird in their backyard, Ms Smith said although it now flies with other swallows, she believed they didn't recognise the white feathered bird at first because of its comparable light pigmentation.

Ms Smith said the other swallows were initially "aggressive" towards the white swallow.

At first glance, Ms Smith believed the unusually white bird to be albino.

Forest & Bird Northern conservation manager Nick Beveridge said the bird appeared to be leucistic rather than albino.

Leucism is a genetic condition that causes lack of pigment and white discolouration of feathers rather than complete depletion of melanin like albino.

Although spotting a leucistic bird is riveting for a keen birder, their light plumage can make it challenging to survive in the wild.

They lose their camouflaging characteristics because of their white feathers, making them an easy target for predators such as hawks and cats. Leucistic birds lack melanin which is key to their feathers' structure.

Their weaker feathers deteriorate more quickly and have poor insulation against harsh weather.

Ms Smith's unusual discovery isn't the first white swallow seen in Northland. Mr Beveridge also spotted a white welcome swallow last year in a flock at Big Sand Island on Kaipara Harbour.

"It was a bit of a coincidence as a few minutes later I saw a white oystercatcher,'' he said.