“The chances of seeing an albino cardinal are extremely low,” said officials the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center
Credit: Raven Ridge Wildlife Center/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- A Pennsylvania wildlife center recently welcomed 2 extremely rare albino cardinals
- Albino cardinals are extremely rare, with odds of spotting one estimated at 1 in 30,000
- One cardinal, Frosty, is thriving despite challenges like poor vision and lack of camouflage, while the other did not survive despite receiving medical care
A wildlife center in Pennsylvania got the opportunity to house two rare albino cardinals.
The Raven Ridge Wildlife Center shared in a Facebook post published on Thursday, Sept. 10, that it’s been getting requests for updates on “Frosty,” the bird, an albino cardinal who was brought to the organization in July.
At the time of the initial rescue, Raven Ridge Wildlife Center explained that a local resident named Brenda had called about a white bird found under her car that appeared injured.
Staff didn’t learn the bird was an albino cardinal until it arrived at the center.
Credit: Raven Ridge Wildlife Center/Facebook
“The chances of seeing an albino cardinal are extremely low,” the center stated in its post. “Albino cardinals are considered one of the rarest bird sightings, with estimates suggesting that the odds of encountering any cardinal displaying white feathers are about 1 in 30,000.”
According to the Raven Ridge Wildlife Center, true albino cardinals, which lack any pigmentation, are “even rarer.”
Albino cardinals face significant survival challenges because their “conspicuous coloration” makes them more vulnerable to predators, the organization said. Because they lack melanin, albino cardinals can also have poor vision.
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center explained in its update that the rarity of albino cardinals stems from a genetic mutation that reduces melanin, resulting in their distinctive white plumage and reddish-pink eyes.
The organization also said that Frosty’s rescue was “fortunate,” and that the bird will remain in captivity to help him stay safe.
“This cardinal is fortunate to have been rescued, as it has no camouflage and poor eyesight, which makes it nearly impossible to evade predators like cats and hawks,” the Center wrote. “Unfortunately, this cardinal will need to be kept in captivity, as its chances of survival in the wild would be slim.”
Credit: Raven Ridge Wildlife Center/Facebook
The shelter revealed that it also admitted a second albino cardinal. “We couldn’t believe that now we had two,” the shelter wrote. “The second Cardinal we admitted was already compromised due to a severe ear infection.”
The center informed readers that “despite our best efforts” the second rescue bird did not survive “as these fragile albinos typically have a short lifespan.”
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The Raven Ridge Wildlife Center ended its post by sharing that Frosty is doing well and has “developed quite the personality.”
“He is starting to molt and is showing more color in different areas,” said the center. “This experience has been a valuable learning opportunity for our team, and we are grateful for the chance to work with this special Cardinal.”
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