Taronga Zoo bird trainer Matt Kettle says it's not easy being white in the animal kingdom, and this little fella would be lucky to make it to his first birthday.

The albino with pearly feathers and pink eyes was spotted looking glum by John Hanna in his Kiama Downs backyard this week.

Mr Hanna said Snowy, as he nicknamed him, looked like a young, healthy bird out on his own.

"The unusual thing is that kookaburras live in family groups and this one was by himself," Mr Hanna said.

"He stayed with me for most of the day in the backyard and never called or laughed."

Albinism is a congenital disorder among humans and animals caused by a lack of melanin pigment in the eyes, skin and hair, or in Snowy's case, the feathers.

Mr Kettle said albinism happened rarely. "The ones who struggle are those who are active during the day because of the exposure to sun which inhibits their ability to find food and avoid predators," he said.

They are also more prone to cancers.

Mr Kettle said the albinism would already be affecting Snowy's life.

"There's a high chance this kooka is already struggling to find food, which may explain his reluctance to do the familiar kooka laugh," he said.

The bird is likely to be lonely, according to Mr Kettle. "It is common for many species to shun members of their groups who are different because their unusual appearance can attract predators," he said.

"Kookas ...can live up to 15 years but the odds of this bird surviving his first year would be small."