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A Florida photographer came across one of the rarest birds in North America recently, USA Today reports.
Karen Devens of Nature Queen Photography snapped a photo of a beautiful yellow cardinal near the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, according to the South Florida Wildlands Association.
"I've seen many cardinals in my life - but apparently not enough," the group wrote in a Facebook post. "Scientists believe this is a one-in-a-million genetic mutation."
And they're correct. Mark Hostelter, a professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida, explained to reporters how this phenomena works. North American cardinals get their vibrant colors from the food they eat. The bird's diet of seeds, grains, and fruit produces a yellow color, the scientist says.
"The yellow pigments are later converted to red by a specific enzyme in their bodies," according to Hostelter. "If the enzyme is missing, the cardinal will be yellow instead of red... It’s probably a rare genetic mutation, affecting fewer than one in a million."
Experts say 10 to 15 yellow cardinals are spotted each year in the entire continent. They typcially have a life span of a few years.
If you ever want to see this special bird, known by some locals as "Tweets," reporters recommend dropping by the University of Florida in the early hours of the morning.