Leucistic sunbird in Malawi

Leucistic sunbird seen in Malawi. Photo credit Irmgard Donderwinkel

This photo was taken at Zomba Forest Lodge, In Zomba, Malawi, and was sent to us by one of our readers, Irmgard Donderwinkel. Wildlife Extra is not clever enough to be able to recognise which species of sunbird it is, so please let us know if you think you can recognise it.

Leucism (or Leukism)
Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, or, more rarely, completely white creatures.

Click here to see our gallery of leucistic and albino animals and birds.