Leucistic penguin in the Falkland Islands

October 2010. This Gentoo penguin was recently spotted on the Falkland Islands recently. Around 250,000 Gentoo penguins breed on the Falklands every year, at more than 80 locations. With so many, it isn't surprising that there are 1-2 unusual looking birds, the trouble is spotting them.

Leucism 
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, or, more rarely, completely white creatures.

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

Click here to go to the Falklands wildlife Facebook site