Leucistic Adelie penguin on Avian Island

An Adelie penguin, seen on Avian Island near Adelaide Island in Antarctica

This Adelie penguin with unusually light colouring may well be a leucistic specimen. This bird was seen and photographed in 1963 on Avian Island, off Adelaide Island on the Antarctic Peninsula in 1963, near the British Antarctic Survey Base by reader Mike Fleet. Adelie penguins more usually have a black back rather than brown. Adelie chicks are much 'fluffier' when young, and when they moult their infant feathers they are black.

Leucism (or Leukism) 
Leucism is a very unusual condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to develop properly. This can result in unusual white patches appearing on the animal, faded colouring, or, more rarely, completely white creatures. 

Albinism is a different condition. The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that in albinism the eyes are usually pink or red, and albinism affects the entire animal, not just patches.  

Click here to see our gallery of albino and leucistic animals and birds.