Rare Yellow Cardinal Making Waves in Arkansas Backyards

Birdwatchers in Arkansas stay on alert this spring; you could see a rare bright-yellow northern cardinal in your backyard.

Forget the Red: Why Your Next Backyard Visitor Might Be a Vivid Yellow Cardinal

According to the Country Herald, Ornithologists say seeing a yellow cardinal is a once-in-a-million occurrence. The bright colored red cardinal feathers come from carotenoid pigments found in fruits and berries. However, in some cases, the pigmentation may genetically mutate into yellow colored feathers.

In a recent Facebook post from Diana Marin in Arkansas, she posted a video showing one in their backyard. Cardinals are seen year-round in Arkansas in neighborhoods, farmland, wooded areas in the mountain regions, and rural areas, where they feed on berries and wild bird sunflower seeds.

Why Birdwatchers Should Report Arkansas's Rare Yellow Visitor

Yellow cardinals are not a separate species or some environmental sign or threat. So, if you see one, you're encouraged to document your findings through a bird-monitoring platform such as eBird for further analysis.

READ MORE: Join The Great Backyard Bird Count in Arkansas

Odds of seeing one remain low, but this year in Arkansas, the rare occurrence of a yellow cardinal is more likely than ever. Sometimes these yellow birds can be mistaken for a Yellow-breasted Chat, American Goldfinch, or a Yellow Grosbeak.

Just as long as it is not mistaken for another yellow bird, Big Bird.

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 Religious Symbolic Meaning of Seeing a Red or Yellow Cardinal

If a person sees a red cardinal, it is widely interpreted as a divine sign of love, hope, and reassurance from heaven. It could mean angels are nearby or that it represents a loved one who has passed on as a way to comfort the spirit who may still be grieving.

On the other hand, seeing a yellow cardinal is a sign of extreme good luck, joy, enlightenment, and a message from the spiritual realm.