Photos: A Rare Yellow King Penguin

[Donkees]

On a trip to a small island in South Georgia in December 2019, Yves Adams spotted an unusually bright creature bobbing through a sea of 120,000 king penguins. Whereas most of the flightless birds sported the typical tuxedo-like suit, one paraded around with yellow feathers and cream-colored feet.

The atypical coloring is due to leucism, a condition that results in the loss of melanin, which turns the black feathers and feet into a lighter hue. In 2013, researchers learned that penguins’ yellow pigment is not derived from food but rather is chemically distinct from the other compounds that color their plumes. The bright feathers are used to attract mates.







See Adams’ shots from his Atlantic expedition, in addition to more that span a wide array of locations like Greenland, the Galapagos Islands, and the Philippine Sea, on his site https://yvesadams.com/ and Instagram. (via PetaPixel)

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I didn't see a yellow penguin in Antarctica, but did see a

Fur seal with the condition. A real blonde.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. Like "the tan suit". hahaha

Everyone else is wearing a formal attire and this guy shows up dressed for a hootenanny.