Rare white blackbird spotted in UK garden

Andy Turner saw the rare bird in his garden

A rare form of white blackbird was spotted in a garden in Dorset, but it wouldn't have been seen if it wasn't for Ozzy the kitten!

Andy Turner told Newsround he was alerted to something outside when his kitten Ozzy began "throwing himself at the backdoor window" excited by something outside.

When he looked Andy saw a white bird perched on a fence.

"It was exactly the shape of a blackbird and had the same beak" Andy told Newsround.

"I was just confused why it was white, so immediately looked it up."

Andy discovered that the white blackbird was in fact a leucistic blackbird.

Leucism is a type of genetic mutation which affects the pigment (colour) in the bird's feathers.

DNA is like a computer code - it contains instructions on how a living things should grow and function.

Genetic mutations happen when there is a change to the DNA sequence.

There are often sightings of leucistic blackbirds with white patches, but a completely white blackbird is very rare.

Ozzy the kitten was on the alert for bird sightings

As for the particular leucistic blackbird spotted in Andy's Weymouth garden, he said it flew to a nearby bush before leaving.

Ozzy the kitten isn't allowed out at the moment because he hasn't had his injections to protect him from illnesses.

He has been given a little bell to wear so that once he is allowed to roam outside any local birds will hear that he is approaching.