Albino jackdaw spotted

A rare albino jackdaw has been killed by other black-feathered jackdaws in the gardens of an historic house in Carmarthenshire.The bird, called Gwyn, was the first ever seen at Aberglasney Gardens.

But Gwyn - whose name means "white" in Welsh - may have been attacked by other birds because of his colour.He was found on a path in the grounds of Aberglasney Gardens by staff.

Head gardener Joseph Atkin said: "Apparently, it is quite common for other birds to turn on albinos like this - but it was just very unfortunate. I don't think Gwyn was very strong anyway because of being a fledgling albino."

Read more: Albino jackdaw spotted

"I was quite taken aback by the pure white bird which at first I thought was a dove" says Aberglasney Gardens' head gardener Joseph Atkin.

"When I realised that it was in fact an albino jackdaw I quickly took a picture with my mobile phone."

"I’ve certainly never seen one before.”

Albino characteristics can make a bird stand out and make it more vulnerable to predators, but staff at Aberglasney say the jackdaw has remained undisturbed so far.

Albino birds are birds missing some or all of their normal pigmentation.

Many still have normal coloured eyes, bills and legs, although some are completely white.

More than 160 species of British birds have shown signs of albinism, according to the RSPB.

Some birds are more prone than others:

• Thrushes (such as blackbirds) are the most common, making up 29% of the recorded cases.
• Crows (including rooks and jackdaws) account for 11%.

Read: understand more about albinism in birds on the RSPB website