Rare albino sparrow photographed in Vic

It's the bird-watching equivalent of winning the lottery - and it has ornithologists all aflutter in Melbourne's west.

An albino sparrow has been photographed in Sanctuary Lakes, the first such sighting in Australia and the seventh confirmed sighting globally this century.

"We expect the images of this rare bird ... to go around the world," said Sanctuary Lakes resident Tom Parkinson, who helped to take the photo.

"The albino sparrow has survived the predators and is now a plump fluffy sparrow, albeit a bright shining white one."

Albinism occurs when the rare albino gene is passed on by both parents.

Aside from lacking any camouflage, albino birds face a further survival challenge as they can be rejected from the nest as a chick.

PURE ALBINO SPARROWS: CONFIRMED AND PHOTOGRAPHED WORLDWIDE

2006 Pennsylvania, USA

2008 Wales, UK

2010 Cornwall, UK

2010 Waikato, NZ

2012 Texas, USA

2014 Bulgaria

2015 Melbourne, AUS.