Albino starling ruffles north-east feathers

villagers do a double-take as they spot bird that is almost entirely white

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BLACK AND WHITE: The albino starling joins his feathered friends on a rooftop in St Combs

AN ALBINO star has been ruffling a few feathers this summer, but not in the Big Brother house.

While Darnell has been entertaining viewers during the Channel 4 series, residents of St Combs, near Fraserburgh, have become engrossed by a celebrity closer to home – a white starling. The bird is almost completely white, which is very rare in starlings, which are traditionally jet black.

While its unusual appearance may help it stand out in a crowd, an expert said last night the starling will struggle to keep predators at bay.

Last night an RSPB spokesman confirmed that the bird suffers from partial leucism, which is like an avian equivalent of albinism. “This bird hasn’t come from an exotic place, it has just lost the pigment in its feathers,” he explained.

“It suffers from partial leucism because some of its feathers are still black, but you do find instances where all of a bird’s feathers have turned white.

“This bird lives, eats and functions like any other bird, the only difference is that its colour hinders its ability to hide from predators.”