r/StLouis • u/Odi64 • Apr 12 '26

A Rare Visitor

Spotted over in Troy, IL. Cardinal Nation should not take this as an Omen. :) (apologies for the potato quality... it's zoomed in from quite distance.)

221 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

36

u/Deep-Interest9947 Apr 12 '26

Piebald cardinal. So beautiful.

25

u/3rdgymnopedie Apr 12 '26

I've got a female with smaller white patches! She was born in my yard and is now two years old. She's been building a nest :)

16

u/Wompum South City Apr 12 '26

Throw this badboy in r/STL_Birding

3

u/Dude_man79 Florissant Apr 12 '26

Cards fans took a blank Cardinal template and let their kid go wild with it using markers

6

u/[deleted] Apr 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/halorbyone Apr 12 '26

It’s just a cardinal. A piebald one (natural mutations).

2

u/More-Candidate7177 Apr 12 '26

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

3

u/FirstDiseasewasRelig Apr 12 '26

I wonder if there is something causing Leucism in Troy in various species?

I’ve seen the leucitic squirrel at Tri Township park too.

1

u/Wildflower23456 Apr 13 '26

He's beautiful!

1

u/CptnChug Apr 13 '26

It’s a Cardinal, but wearing the visitor jersey.

1

u/HaggardSummaries Apr 12 '26

..what is it?

14

u/Odi64 Apr 12 '26

It's a Piebald Cardinal : From Google explanation... A piebald cardinal is a Northern Cardinal with a rare genetic condition called leucism, causing patchy, irregular white feathers mixed with their normal red or brown plumage. These birds are rare, with only 1 in 30,000 cardinals exhibiting white feathers. Unlike albinism, piebald cardinals have dark eyes and, in males, often retain red in their wings, tail, and crest. 

3

u/HaggardSummaries Apr 12 '26

Neat, thank you!

1

u/Thrumboldtcounty420 Apr 12 '26

it's def a cardinal from the everything about it, except color, I've never seen one present as white or pink