This is a rare find, with only 1 bird in every 30,000 having an abnormal pure white or partial white coloration. When a friend told me she happened to have this beauty in her backyard I immediately drove for over an hour (one way) to capture some pictures. My favorite series from the day included the red-backdrop of the nearby shed which made the hummingbird “pop”.
So what exactly is going on with this bird? As in many species across the world, genetic mutations can sometimes lead to a change in color. In this particular case it means that the colored pigments are not present. This can vary from a complete loss of melanin as in a true albino to a partial loss that results in leucisim. A true albino is defined by a uniform white coloration with pale pink or red eyes. If you look closely at this hummingbird you see the eyes are actually dark. Because of this it is considered leucistic, which is a partial loss in pigmentation. Additional variations can also happen with portion of a bird or animal being white and portions the naturally occurring colors.