At first, they didn't want to believe what kind of bird ringer Kolos Bátky caught during the net inspection at Madárvárta.
An almost completely snow-white smoke swallow was caught in the net, which only had a darker color on 1-2 wing feathers, the Száz Völgy Nature Conservation Association .
But why is this swallow this color?
It is essentially a genetic quirk that the bird has had since birth. It has what is called leucism, which prevents pigment, especially melanin, from being evenly distributed throughout the bird's feathers. It often results in white spots and pale colors. As a result, these birds do not have the normal, classic plumage colors shown in field guides.
It is important that this is not to be confused with albinism, because it causes a completely white appearance and red eyes.
The bird is healthy, but because of its coloring, it is more exposed to predators than its congeners with normal plumage. We hope that the snow-white smoke swallow will be able to complete its migration successfully and reach Africa safely!
