People ask whether there are albino owls and as you can see albino owls do exist. In my opinion, a white owl is not an albino owl physiologically. They’re both white but the cause of the whiteness is different i.e. the genetic causes are different. This owl is albino because the bird carries an autosomal (non-sex linked) recessive gene which stops the pigment melanin (aka eumelanin) developing in the feathers and indeed the rest of the bird where pigmentation would normally be. All-white, non-albino owls probably carry a dominant white gene. Their eyes are not red. People ask why the eyes are red in albino owls. Albino cats have pink-red eyes as well. This is because there is no melanin in the iris of the eyes which allows you to see through the iris to the retina which contains blood vessels and therefore looks red. Albinism causes the eyes to be less good with problems of focusing and debt perception.
SOME MORE ON BIRDS:
Hen hotels are popular in response to a burgeoning market in pet hens
86% of British citizens want to halt imports of inhumane foie gras
Networking volunteers organise crossing guard for cygnets in Bishop’s Waltham
Woman became hysterical when her parrot flew away and now faces trial over £792,000 drugs haul
There are not enough people to pluck birds in the UK
