The bird, an Australasian harrier hawk, commonly known as a kāhu kōrako in New Zealand, was spotted somewhere in the Waitaki Valley on June 1.
Photographer Peter Langlands said getting to photograph the bird was a ‘‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’’.
‘‘I saw it when I was coming back from the Birds New Zealand conference in Wānaka. I then went back for three days to find it again just to focus on photographing it and getting a bit more research on it.’’
He said the kāhu kōrako had a rare colour mutation called leucism which leads to a reduction of pigment in their plumage as the bird ages.
Birds can range from having white patches, or, more rarely, can be completely white.
Leucism affects an estimated one in roughly 30,000 birds across the species, making a white kāhu kōrako a highly sought-after sighting.
The kāhu kōrako Mr Landlands saw was completely white.
He believed the bird may have been around the area for at least eight years.
‘‘I've been birdwatching over 45 years, and I've never seen one of these coloured birds before, so that's why I guess it was quite special.’’
He said the bird was rather revered in Māori mythology and culture.
A white kāhu kōrako whose plumage had faded from dark brown to a pale, ghostly grey-white was a noble symbol of victory and leadership.
‘‘Because the kāhu kōrako is a survivor that has grown white with age, Māori orators use it as a powerful metaphor for a revered kaumātua who possesses great wisdom, dignity, and mana.’’
A kāhu kōrako was traditionally viewed as a guardian of the sky and a messenger capable of flying between the earthly realm and the gods.
‘‘According to legend, Māui transformed into a kāhu kōrako to escape the fury of Mahuika, the goddess of fire.
‘‘As he soared into the sky, the flames scorched the bird's feathers.
‘‘This mythological event was used to explain why standard harriers have dark brown plumage with light or reddish-brown undersides.’’
