Spirit Bird: 'One-in-a-million' yellow cardinal seen in Alabama
An unusual yellow cardinal has birdwatchers racing to Alabama as images of the unique creature have circulated around the Internet and social media.
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The bird was first spotted in Alabaster, Ala., in late January in the backyard of Charlie Stephenson.
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Auburn University biology professor Geoffrey Hill told AL.com the cardinal is an adult male in the same species as the common red cardinal but carries a genetic mutation that causes it to have bright yellow feathers instead of the usual brilliant red.
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Stephenson said the bird has been a punctual visitor to her backyard feeder: "Every time we've looked for him, he'll show up at least once a day," she said to AL.com.
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Professional photographer Jeremy Black snapped a couple of shots of the bird, which have made the rounds of news sites nationwide.
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Red cardinals are found all across central and eastern North America, according to Cornell University's Ornithology Lab: "A year-round resident, the cardinal is a common visitor to bird feeders in winter, and it has been chosen as state bird in seven U.S. states."
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(Photos: Jeremy Black) Non-red cardinals are very rare: "Yellow cardinals are a one-in-a million situation," Hill said.
