Philippine duck with rare leucism spotted in Leyte natural park

Rangers at the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park in Burauen, Leyte, have documented a rare leucistic Philippine duck (Anas luzonica) in Lake Malagsum. The bird’s unusually pale feathers are the result of leucism, a condition that causes reduced pigmentation, distinguishing it from albinism which involves a total absence of pigment.

This sighting marks the first time the park’s Biodiversity Monitoring Team has recorded a leucistic specimen of this species. The Philippine duck is the country’s only endemic duck species. Local authorities stated that the discovery provides valuable biodiversity data and reinforces the natural park's role as a critical habitat for unique and threatened wildlife.