Country Herald is Local News, Independent Pulse. Covering breaking local news, sports, lifestyle and events.
Boston, Massachusetts – A rare genetic mutation could cause a bright yellow northern cardinal to appear in Massachusetts 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, a color 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…