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Providence, Rhode Island – A rare genetic mutation could cause a bright yellow northern cardinal to appear in Rhode Island backyards this spring, an occurrence ornithologists estimate may happen in roughly one in a million birds.
Northern cardinals are best known for the male’s vivid red feathers, produced by carotenoid pigments found in fruits and berries. Experts say that in extremely rare cases, a genetic mutation prevents those pigments from converting to red, resulting in yellow plumage instead…