A Strange Rare Little Birdie

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For those with a bird feeder in their yards I bet you never spotted this kind of Cardinal before! I found this story online about a week ago and thought it would of interest to post to those who like bird watching. Male and female Cardinals have distinct physical colors to tell them apart. Males of the species sport brilliant crimson plumage, while females don more subdued brownish yellow feathers. Well, it seems there is another variety of Cardinal too. This woman spotted one with a split colored coat. Yes, half male and half female? The woman was an experienced birdwatcher and based on her past research, she was able to identify the unusual bird as a "bilateral gynandromorph" — an organism which has split-sex characteristics, making the cardinal essentially both male and female. The phenomena can be found in a variety of insects, crustaceans and birds and is a result of an egg containing two nuclei. The bird has a male friend who seems to not be concerned with his/her looks. Makes you wonder if the other birdie is infatuated with the Cardinal's appearance? Whether or not they will be able to reproduce is something only nature will know. But if you ever watched Saturday Night Live and saw the androgynous Pat skit I bet that male bird is pretty confused, lol. Here is the link to the full article: Source- the dodo Photo- Shirley Caldwell & nbc.com