Rare Sighting: All-Black Flamingo Amidst Its Pink Family

Photo credit: news.nationalgeographic.com

Every family has one – a black sheep. And apparently, flamingos are no exception.

Earlier this month, an all-black flamingo was spotted in the midst of his white and pink family members in a salt lake at the Akrotiri Environmental Centre on the southern coast of Cyprus .

The reason this black beauty exists? Melanism, which causes excessive pigment to darken feathers.

According to NatGeo, melanism is occasionally seen in hawks and ducks but only once before been demonstrated among flamingos. The previous sighting occurred in 2013 and since flamingos migrate across long distances, it’s possible that this is the same bird.

Check out the video and see the rare bird for yourself:

Source: news.nationalgeographic.com