Birdwatchers are all excited at the news of a one in a million bird that has been spotted in Alabaster Alabama. It is an unusual yellow cardinal with yellow feathers only and no red hues. It is a species with a genetic mutation that blocks the red hues which is why it is regarded as a mutant bird. Ornithologists say that the bird is so rare that among a million backyard feeders, perhaps such a species may visit only one or two of them.
When Charlie Stephenson from Alabaster Alabama noticed an unusual bird pecking at her hanging back feeder, she decided to check it out. It seemed a strange unfamiliar yellow bird which she had never seen before in her life.
Image Source: cdni.rt.com
Stephenson is a seasonal and avid birdwatcher who has observed several species of cardinals in the past. This one that featured a mustard color coat was totally different from all that she had seen. She immediately clicked a photograph of it.
Image Source: www.southernliving.com
Stephenson had seen many albino and leucistic birds among which some were totally white but who had some pigmented color on their bodies. But what is so special about the bird she found in her backyard?
Image Source: www.newsmax.com
This cardinal is said to have a rare genetic mutation that does not allow it to assimilate red hues the typical color which cardinals are commonly known to have. Ornithologist Professor Geoffrey Hill curator of the Auburn University Alabama says that the bird is one in a million find. He says that Charlie Stephenson is extremely lucky as a birdwatcher.
Image Source: www.amazonaws.com
Stephenson was very excited after seeing the bird. She recalls thinking, 'Well, there's a bird I've never seen before, then I realized it was a cardinal, and it was a yellow cardinal.". The rare yellow cardinal still visits Stephenson’s backyard feeder and she also mentioned the reason why she hasn’t given out her address is because too many enthusiasts may crowd the place and scare the bird away. She, however, has posted pictures of the bird on social media.
Image Source: nationalgeographic.com
The photographs of the rare yellow cardinal were taken by Stephenson’s professional photographer friend Jeremy Black who waited 5 hours to capture shots of the bird. The biggest question is how the bird got its unusual yellow feathers.
Image Source: www.toproadrunner5.info
The rare yellow cardinal like red cardinals depends on organic pigments called carotenoids from its diet which turns its feather into the beautiful yellow color. But according to research, there are other genes that determine which of the colored pigments the bird deposits into its bare skin and feathers. For example red cardinals get their red color from four orange or yellow pigments that they consume.
Image Source: timeincapp.com
The feathers of the Northern yellow cardinal that a study collected in 1989 in Baton Rouge Louisiana did not display any red carotenoids which are common to the Northern cardinals. The study then found that the rare yellow cardinal could not process the other hues or carotenoids.The genetic mutation had canceled its ability to absorb other hues.
Image Source: purch.com
The genetic mutation does not affect the bird’s health as studies have found that there is no relation of the colors to physiological functions of the bird. However, it denies the bird its ability to send the right social signals done through enhancing its bodily colors. This could make it hard for mating or defending territory.
Image Source: media.mnn.com
Hill says that in all of his 40 years of bird watching, he has never seen a rare yellow cardinal with the one in a million yellow appearance form a genetic mutation. However, the rare yellow cardinal should not be mistaken with the regular yellow cardinal which is an Endangered Species is found in South America. It also has black and white markings and can feature a green hue.
Image Source: pinimg.com
Congress has passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 that protects birds from useless killing. To celebrate this centennial, National Geographic partnered with the National Audubon Society of Birdlife International and the Cornell lab of ornithology and has declared 2018 to be the year of the bird.
Image Source: .inquisitr.com