My posts on aberrant plumages of Northern Cardinals, HERE, HERE, and HERE, brought a lot of interesting feedback and put me on to other strange cardinals. But the one that follows may take the cake in sheer weirdness. Someone tipped me to Larry Ammann's website, which is full of beautiful imagery. Check it out HERE. Amongst Larry's treasure trove of photos was a beast the likes of which few people have ever seen. Read on...
Photo: Larry Ammann ©
Welcome to the wacky world of bilateral gynandromorphism. This feathered oddity appeared at Larry's feeders at his Texas abode about a year ago. I can only imagine his surprise upon sighting this Northern Cardinal. Gynandromorphy is a genetic aberration that causes an organism to have both male (andro) and female (gyn) parts. Occasionally gynandromorphic animals turn up that appear to be cleaved into separate sexes right down the middle, hence the bilateral modifier.
Photo: Larry Ammann ©
He/she turns her/his best side to the camera. I have seen photos of bilaterally gynandromorphic butterflies before, and they can be spectacular. One wing is that of male; the other wing is of a female. But apparently this condition is very rare in the bird world. While Larry's cardinal isn't unerringly and exactly split down the middle, plumagewise, it's close. In the photo above, we're looking at the female side of things, obviously.
Photo: Larry Ammann ©
So, what causes gynandromorphy? It's somewhat complicated and certainly not my field of expertise, so if you want to plumb the depths of gynandromorphism and its causes, GO HERE. That site also has some cool photos of gynandromorphic butterflies.
Photo: Larry Ammann ©
The only finishing touch that could have made this bird look any cooler would have been if its crest was also bicolored. But any way you shake it, this is one strange and stunning cardinal.
Thanks to Larry Ammann for sharing his images with us.