More white kites

Since seeing my first leusistic red kite I have spent many hours over many days looking for them. These birds have normal coloured eyes as apposed to albino's that have pink. This bird carried the wing tag No. 51 which I spotted it many times over the following years. The tag fell off after a few years but I still recognised the bird.

This picture was taken more than 16years ago and it was my first siting of a white kite. No. 51 was tagged a couple of years before in Wales. The wing tags were used to track the birds because they can on occasions fly vast distances.
 

Parteners

Sometimes odd things happen in front of the camera.  These pictures were taken on different tmes and of different birds in different locations. A little bit of food is thrown down on a regular basis and it is surprising how quickly word gets around. This was done for experimentation and as you can see it was a total success.

Raven and a white kite came in together on several occasions. This shot was taken in Wales.

Raven and buzzard at a place in Sussex. On private property which I promised not reveal its location.
 

White buzzard

Well you liked my white red kite pictures so here is another pale friend of mine. Saw it on many occasions in Wales. It would come into the feeding station and take its share of the food and not be bothered with all the hoo-ha going on around it.

As you can see it was a beautiful bird and the way that it strutted around it certainly knew it.

This abnormal colouring is called leucisism ( I think I spelled that right ). Many species of animals and birds can be affected by it.
 

WHITE KITE

I have over the years that I have been photographing red kites I have come across some oddities, nothing as odd as the white red kite. This is not an albino,  it is a malfunction in the body geans. A total lack of melanine which puts the red pigment into the skin and in turn into the feathers. Other birds and animals can have it and can lead normal lives with no handicaps. There is no record of these creatures breeding.

These pictures are of different birds photographed over a period of about 15 years. Because of the age that red kites live to locals often give them names as they are instantly recognised.

They are terrific to catch them in bright sun light and so easy to photograph in flight.

They are often in the company of other kites and are not outcast. This one I new well over several years and as you can see it wasn't put off by the camera. I no longer travel so I will miss going to Wales and seeing it.