If you ask anyone what colour is a dog, they would probably give you a variety of answers. But if you asked someone what colour is a zebra—there’s just one correct answer. The same can be said of penguins, one of the internet’s most beloved birds famous for their cute waddle and characteristic black and white colour that looks they are dressed in a fancy tuxedo. However, you’d be shocked to see this adorable penguin which has none of the features we associate with these birds. It’s yellow in colour!
The rare bird was captured by a Belgian wildlife photographer in December 2019. He was out on an expedition to South Georgia, an island in the southern Atlantic where he was documenting a colony of almost 120,000 king penguins. There he spotted this rare bird with yellow flippers, swimming merrily on the cold waves.
“It was heaven that he landed by us; If it had been 50 meters away, we wouldn’t have been able to get this show of a lifetime,” said Adams. He believes this is a ‘never seen before’ penguin. In a series of photographs, Adams captured this rare individual swimming and then going about on land to meet his/her buddies (all of whom are black and white).
While albinism is often associated with animals who lose pigmentation; this bird probably has another condition known as leucism.
While albinism is a complete absence of pigmentation, leucism is a condition in which there is a reduction in the production of pigment cells. It can either result in a partial loss of colouration or the development of patches.
As seen in this particular bird, the partial loss of colour prevents it from developing the much-pigmented dark black colours. Its flippers, tail, feathers—all have a yellowish hue.
The Salisbury Plains is a very popular King Penguin breeding ground where thousands upon thousands turn up to lay eggs and raise their young ones.
Though penguins do have a gene to provide yellow pigmentation in their plumage, it is unclear how it would have played a part in this fully yellow penguin. The colourful pigmentation is useful in attracting mates; but will a fully-yellow penguin be more attractive to the group? No one knows.