An extremely rare white bald eagle has been filmed in Oklahoma, raising concerns that people will attempt to crowd it.
In the video, taken by bird observer Justin Briley, the all-white eagle can be seen sitting in a tree. The exact location has not been disclosed.
Briley shared the footage with Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) biologists who described it as "VERY rare" and a "treat to see in outdoor Oklahoma."
Briley told Newsweek: "When I first saw it, it was with a few turkey vultures, and it wasn't until I took [some pics] that I could see that it was an eagle."
This particular eagle may have been sighted before. Another was sighted in February this year, in Vian, Oklahoma, near Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. The ODWC shared a picture of the animal, which was credited to Greg Silva.
This sighting drew bird watches from across the country to the area, desperate to catch a glimpse of the rare species.
A white eagle was also sighted in 2021, along the Illinois River. Despite being incredibly rare, the ODWC said in a Facebook post that there is no way to confirm whether it is the same one.
"We're still PUMPED to have this homie hanging around our neck of the woods," the ODWC said in a tweet.
Briley told Newsweek that he is not disclosing the location of the sighting in fear that people will try to crowd the animal.
The bird watcher said he does not think there is a danger of people physically hunting the eagle.
"But if people know where it was, they will disregard the safety of the animal and its privacy to get pictures like they did last year," he said.
Other people viewing the video agreed.
"Please do not give out the location of this bird. Last year, when one was reported in a particular spot, nearly all the nests in the area failed. I assume it was due to the huge amount of people trying to see it," one local Facebook user said in a comment to the video.
Bald eagles are usually brown in color, with a white head. This eagle's all-white color is caused by a genetic condition called leucism, ODWC said in a tweet. This condition prevents pigments reaching the eagle's feathers.
Leucism is different to albinism. While both conditions can lead to an all-white appearance in animals, an albino is completely unable to produce pigments. Albino animals have pink eyes, while leucism animals' eyes remain dark.
Other species can be leucistic too. Earlier this month, a leucistic white deer was spotted roaming around West Seneca, New York.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
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