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Vince’s brother has quite an extensive garden, much of it planted to native species. It’s a haven for the local birds, who are attracted to the plants and to the several birdbaths. Yesterday, he sent up photos of what appeared to be an albino wattle-bird or squeaker as they’re locally known. This was quite exciting as albinos don’t often have a long life as their colour, or lack thereof, makes they more vulnerable to predators. On further research, it seems the bird could be leucistic. Leucism is a rare genetic mutation. The plumage lacks normal pigmentation and can range from appearing white to blotchy, washed out or frosted. Another explanation, though not so likely, is that the bird is young and hasn’t attained its adult colouring yet. The photo shows a ‘normal’ squeaker (Anthochaera carunculata). You can see the red wattles which give the bird its other name.