A form of albinism. Leucistic animals lack all pigment in their skin, but have blue eyes. Albinism (from Latin albus, meaning white) is a lack of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. ...
Leucistic animals lack all colour in their skin, fur, or feathers; but generally have normally coloured eyes.
While albinism results in an animal lacking the normal melanin (and occasionally other) pigment cells, leucistic animals retain the cells; but lack an enzyme needed to activate the pigment.
Another key difference is that leucisim can also be localized and incomplete, affecting only part of the animal (whereas albinism, anerythrism, and axanthism always affects the entire animal); with irregular patches of white on an animal that otherwise has normal colouring and patterning.
Leucistic means that the colouration is mainly pure white and not the usual reds and fls of a 'normal' kite.
This Leucistic individual is mainly white, and has blue eyes - not to be confused for Albino which means the lack of colouring evidenced by pink eyes.
Leucistic birds are at a major disadvantage as their light colour attracts the unwanted attentions of both red kites and corvids who rob and generally harangue the unfortunate bird purely because it is different.
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