Nature
PUBLISHED
Seafarers on a 2012 National Geographic-Lindblad expedition to Antarctica spotted this rare "blond" chinstrap penguin in a colony on Aitcho Island.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.The condition is known as isabellinism or leucism (like "leukocyte," or white blood cells), and not albinism, where no melanin is produced. Animals with isabellinism have a genetic mutation that dilutes pigments in the feathers, according to a 2009 study in Marine Ornithology. Though technically separate conditions, isabellinism and leucism are used interchangeably. Leucistic birds have a mutation that restricts the dissemination of pigment to feathers.
Here's the video:
[Via National Geographic]
2
