A northern cardinal bird with a rare abnormality has been spotted in Texas. On one side it’s white and on the other side it’s red. Male cardinals are usually dark red and female cardinals are usually white.
The bird’s coloring is due to a genetic anomaly called bilateral gynandromorphism, which in addition to its markings the cardinal also has male and female sexual organs. The cardinal has become viral since the Inland Bird Banding Association shared its photo on their Facebook page. Since the post was uploaded on the social media site over 6,800 people have commented on it and it’s been shared almost 60,000 times.
The comments include, “Looks like this extra ordinary bird could try on the “Phantom of the Opera “Broadway show with it’s amazing colours!” Another user wrote, “Love the contrast in colors. Pretty bird. Perfect for the Christmas season.” Others have compared the cardinal to an Angry Bird and we definitely see the resemblance.
While this anomaly is rare in birds, it’s much more common in insects and so far it’s been seen in crabs, bees, snakes, lobsters, and some other birds.
Pretty cool, don’t you think?
