WHITE SPARROW APPEARS IN CORNISH GARDEN

An unusual bird was recently seen in a Cornish garden. Puzzled by the small, white plumed bird visiting his garden, Polgooth resident Barry Hitchens called in experts at nearby Lost Gardens of Heligan. They identified the visitor as a rare leucistic sparrow, which lacks the dark pigment found in normal birds. While from a distance the sparrow looked completely white, up close it possessed a few brown feathers. As the bird was not totally lacking in pigment and has dark eyes rather than the distinctive pink of a true albino, it is termed leucistic. Unfortunately, the chances of survival are low since its whiteness makes it a target for birds of prey.