Rare white house crow with complete leucism spotted in Mancherial

A wildlife conservationist has documented a completely white house crow in Mancherial’s Tandur mandal, the first recorded case of complete leucism in the species locally, highlighting genetic diversity in urban wildlife and offering insight into natural mutation and adaptation

Mancherial: A completely white house crow was sighted in Tandur mandal headquarters, marking the first recorded case of complete leucism in this species in the region. The rare bird was documented by wildlife conservationist and Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HyTiCoS) member Vaishnav Sripathi on Monday.

According to Sripathi, unlike birds that exhibit partial white patches, this crow was entirely white except for its normally coloured eyes. The condition, known as leucism, results from a genetic mutation that inhibits pigmentation in feathers while retaining normal eye colour. It differs from albinism, where the absence of pigment also affects the eyes.

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“White plumage makes these birds much easier for predators to spot and may affect how other crows interact with them, potentially impacting mating and social acceptance within the flock. However, crows’ high intelligence and cooperative behaviour help them survive despite such disadvantages, as evidenced by this bird reaching adulthood,” Sripathi explained, adding that the discovery highlights how urban and semi-urban landscapes can support genetic diversity, challenging the notion that cities host less varied wildlife. Such rare observations, he said, help scientists study mutation rates and evolutionary processes in real-world environments.

“This sighting shows that even the most common birds we see every day carry hidden genetic diversity,” Sripathi noted.