'One in a Million' Yellow Cardinal Spotted in Alabama

al.com ^ | Feb 22, 2018

[nickcarraway]

By Dennis Pillion dpillion@al.com An extremely rare cardinal has birders and biologists flocking to Shelby County, Alabama this week, as images of a yellow cardinal have circulated around social media.

Auburn University biology professor Geoffrey Hill said the cardinal in the photos is an adult male in the same species as the common red cardinal, but carries a genetic mutation that causes what would normally be brilliant red feathers to be bright yellow instead.

Alabaster resident Charlie Stephenson first noticed the unusual bird at her backyard feeder in late January and posted about it on Facebook. She said she's been birding for decades but it took her some time to figure out what she was seeing.

"I thought 'well there's a bird I've never seen before'," Stephenson said. "Then I realized it was a cardinal, and it was a yellow cardinal."

[spiderpig]

They stun easily, Major.

[angcat]

Stunning

[RckyRaCoCo]

Heh, LA Story too...

[rlmorel]

I set up a feeder outside my office, and get a huge amount of traffic at it. It is a large one, and burns through about a tube a day.

One day, I am sitting in here working, and in my subconscious, I hear a sound, but it isn't quite registering. After what I guess must have been 15 minutes, I consciously began hearing it, and thought "What the hell is that?"

It was high pitched screeching at low volume that just went on and on. I determined it was coming from outside. I opened my window to look, and saw this:

It was a Blue Jay, and it had a sparrow pinned. This had already been going on for about 15 minutes, and as I watched, the Blue Jay pecked, took up a bunch of feathers, raised its head, then pecked again. The whole time the sparrow was emitting a horrible screeching sound you don't hear from sparrows.

But, this is life as a wild animal. Gotta let things take their course, so I went back to work.

The problem was, it just went on and on. It is like someone pointing out a rattling noise in your car you never noticed, and once you hear it, you cannot un-hear it. So it was for the screeching sparrow.

Finally, I had enough. I couldn't concentrate. I went outside and came around the corner, and the Blue Jay stopped to regard me. As I approached, it took one more pronounced (and I think exaggerated) peck as if it was saying "F*** you!", defiantly looked at me, then flew off.

The sparrow had blood all over it(for some reason, it seemed odd to see actual blood on a sparrow) patches of feathers gone, pit holes in the top of its head, and both eyes were gone. Its chest was heaving and body quivering. I stomped on it to put it out of its misery.

That Blue Jay was clearly not doing that for food. There was something that was absolutely mean and vindictive about it. I usually avoid anthropomorphizing what takes place in nature, but I simply could not avoid doing it there. It was very much akin to a sadistic murder for vengeance, pleasure, or...what. I don't know.

[rlmorel]

For what it is worth-I like, and generally kind of admire Blue Jays.

They are aggressive and muscular, and make some interesting and pleasant vocalizations apart from what most people know as the annoying Blue Jay call outside your window at 6 AM.

They are in the same family as crows, so they are intelligent for birds, nice to look at, and interesting to watch.

That was one mean Blue Jay.

[Doogle]

I get all sorts..jays, cards,chickadees,titmouse, sparrows
Red crown woodpecker that always announces his presence....two quick clicking sounds while perched looking in my window as if asking permission..
*smiles*...to which I make two smooching sounds and he proceeds ...for the next hour or so...meanwhile everybody else comes and goes...

[Enchante]

Gorgeous. I need to show this to my mom, who loves watching birds.

[Doogle]

...try throwing a few peanuts in the air when you have a few jays around...they get into it pretty quickly...like shagging baseballs...

[rlmorel]

I’m going to try it...:)

Shells on?

[rlmorel]

I have gotten the Chickadees to eat out of my hand, but none other are bold enough to do so...:)

[Doogle]

They watch....be patient. They learn from watching others. Jays will barter too...leave a couple of kernel’s of corn and a wild blueberry for a peanut

[Doogle]

Yeah chickadee’s are like holding a cotton ball no weight at all, fragile

[rlmorel]

I’ll tell you, the first time one landed on my hand, I was so charmed by it. You know what I mean.

Yeah. Weightless.

But bolder than bold, and tough as nails they are! One of my favorite birds.

[Doogle]

They love black river sunflower seeds

[Doogle]

Correction..that black oil sunflower seeds

[blueunicorn6]

I believe I sang that version, too.

[OwenKellogg]

Didn’t he cover the Olympics for NBC?

[CodeToad]

Cover, or in.

[FrankR]

We should name it after Trump (yellow hair, etc) It would be the majestic “Cardinal Trump”.

[virgil]

He’s beautiful.