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Rare Albino American Robin

May 12, 2011 - Winchester, Kentucky, USA. A baby albino robin rested in the grass at the home of HUBERT SPARKS. "I'm 80 years-old and I've never seen anything like that," Sparks said. He and his wife discovered the baby Wednesday evening and have been feeding it worms after noticing that the bird's parents weren't feeding it. Albinism is a genetic mutation that prevents the production of melanin, or pigmentation, in the body, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The bird's eyes appear pink because of the blood vessels behind the eyes. While many American Robins can show patches of white or diluted colors, a true albino, which is a total lack of pigmentation, is very rare, according to John Brunjes, Wildlife Biologist, Migratory Bird Program with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (Credit Image: © David Stephenson/ZUMA Press)

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David Stephenson
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Birds of Kentucky
May 12, 2011 - Winchester, Kentucky, USA. A baby albino robin rested in the grass at the home of HUBERT SPARKS. "I'm 80 years-old and I've never seen anything like that," Sparks said. He and his wife discovered the baby Wednesday evening and have been feeding it worms after noticing that the bird's parents weren't feeding it. Albinism is a genetic mutation that prevents the production of melanin, or pigmentation, in the body, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The bird's eyes appear pink because of the blood vessels behind the eyes. While many American Robins can show patches of white or diluted colors, a true albino, which is a total lack of pigmentation, is very rare, according to John Brunjes, Wildlife Biologist, Migratory Bird Program with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. (Credit Image: © David Stephenson/ZUMA Press)