The warbling of magpies is one of the most distinctive sounds of Australia's cities and bushland.

Key points: Rare white leucistic magpie found in Adelaide Parklands

Rare white leucistic magpie found in Adelaide Parklands Leucism is a genetic variation reducing black pigment

Leucism is a genetic variation reducing black pigment White animals can signify strength, purity and leadership

But in Adelaide's northern parklands, that familiar tune is coming from a slightly unfamiliar source — a white magpie, with black wings.

According to University of South Australia Biology professor Chris Daniels, the male bird does not have albinism — it is leucistic.

"Leucism is genetic variation in the cells responsible for producing black pigment," Professor Daniels said.

"They still have the black of the beak and the normally coloured eyes, but the body of the bird can be completely white, or can be a mixture of grey and white or can have odd white patches across it."

The leucistic magpie in the parklands between North Adelaide and Medindie. ( ABC News: Simon Royal )

Normal-coloured eyes are one of the things that distinguish an animal with leucism from one with albinism, with their characteristic pink eyes and skin.

Professor Daniels said there would be no impact on the bird's life expectancy.

The bird certainly seemed to be living a magpie's best life — hanging out with its family in the Park Lands, trotting up to people who offer it a delicious morsel, and then squabbling with other birds for the best bit.

But colour, and colour variation, is still important to birds, particularly when it comes to choosing a mate.

How this aspect of the bird's life might be affected by leucism is not well understood.

"It is quite rare, so we don't know if they are able to form a pair and become the dominant territorial bird or just hang around and live life as a bachelor or spinster," Professor Daniels said.

"I guess we'll find out more in spring, whether he teams up with a mate or not.

"There is so much to be learnt about the importance of colour in behavioural groupings."

Magpies, even white ones, make Australians think of home. ( ABC News: Simon Royal )

Rare white animals a fascination for many

In the human world though, it was no surprise to English literature professor Robert Phiddian that a white magpie was generating a flutter of interest.

White animals feature in many cultures and stories — Moby Dick, the great white whale, and Kimba the White Lion, from the 1960s Japanese anime cartoon of the same name.

"They are really much more stories about us, rather than the animals," Dr Phiddian said.

"It's what we project on to them… strength, purity, leadership… they are a storytelling device… and it goes a long way back into our history."

On the subject of literature, and contrary to popular belief, Chris Daniels argued neither Moby Dick nor Kimba were albino — it was all to do with the eyes.

"Moby Dick is always represented with dark-coloured eyes," Professor Daniels said.

"I am pretty sure that Kimba was leucistic also, because he has normal-coloured eyes."

The leucistic magpie with a couple of regular black and white magpies. ( ABC News: Simon Royal )

Gathering mythology around magpies

But both professors agreed on the importance of magpies to how Australians saw and understood themselves.

Biology professor and Cleland Wildlife Park director Chris Daniels. ( ABC News: Simon Royal )

It is a growing trend, Professor Robert Phiddian said.

"Their singing is such a part of our aural story… and I think there's a gathering mythology about magpies in Australia," he said.

"I don't mean mythology in the sense of things that are wrong, but rather the stories that take hold and start to circulate and recirculate."

For Professor Daniels, magpies always topped the list of his annual surveys of the animals people had the most interaction with.

"Iconic is a bit of an overused word, but magpies really fit that bill," Professor Daniels said.

"When we've done our studies at the university on what animals people really connect with, magpies rank number one.

"It can be a really important emotional connection to place, so people who travel overseas and then see on the television a magpie carolling away, they can get so homesick they come back home."

Whether albino, leucistic or the traditional black and white nothing seems to shade our collective love of the Australian magpie.