Amateur photographer Kevin Simmonds captured a shot of the bird in Miramar on Thursday evening.

A budding Wellington photographer has captured on camera a rare sighting of what may be an albino blackbird.

Kevin Simmonds said he first saw the small white bird a few weeks ago, but did not have his camera.

"There were a few frustrating times over the past few weeks when I would see the bird, but didn't have the right lens with me."

DEPARTMENT OFCONVERSATION Albinism is known to occur in many animal species around the world, including the giant Powelliphanta snail.

After being met with scepticism from his wife and son, Simmonds was determined to get a photo of it with a zoom lens.

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The fates aligned on Thursday night, when he had his zoom lens handy and was able to snap more than 40 shots of the distinctive animal.

FAIRFAX NZ Albinism is caused by an absence in pigment, which could be partial or complete, due to a genetically-inherited defect in the enzyme which produced melanin.

"I reckon only six of them were good because you have to refocus for every shot," Simmonds said.

He asked for the bird's exact whereabouts to be kept confidential, but said it appeared to be living near Strathmore Park, in the city's southern suburbs.

While out looking for the bird, now known as Bobby, Simmonds spoke to several other residents, who were also intrigued by its appearance.

FAIRFAX NZ Albino animals born in the wild often don't live very long, due to their poor eyesight and visibility to predators.

Zealandia spokesman Cameron Hayes said it was hard to tell from the photo whether the bird was albino or leucistic – a separate condition that results in the partial loss of pigmentation, but does not affect the animal's eyes.

"A reddish eye is usually a good sign of albinism," he said.

That effect is typically due to the only colour present coming from the blood vessels in the bird's eyes.

True albinism is a much rarer condition than leucism, as it is caused by a genetic mutation that does not allow any melanin pigments to be produced.

Most albino birds born in the wild will die shortly after fledging, because of their poor eyesight and their being more visible to predators.