Amazing 12 Pictures of the Extremely Rare and Legendary creature - The White Raven.

The white birds are believed to number in the single digits locally, born from a single pair of black common ravens with a rare genetic defect. They are considered leucistic, with reduced pigmentation, rather than albino, since they have some colour in their eyes.

Common ravens are monogamous and can live for more than 30 years, but North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre assistant manager Julie Mackey said the white birds don't tend to live as long or breed as well as their black cousins.