You’re looking at an animal I didn’t know existed until a couple of weeks ago.
That is a white peacock a/k/a leucistic peafowl. No, it’s not the logo for a new NBC network full of white nationalist shows.
The bird has a genetic mutation that prevents pigment from being deposited in its feathers. They are born yellow and turn white as they mature. But they’re not considered albinos, because they do have color in their eyes (a bluish-gray).
I spotted this beauty during our recent vacation in Florida at a place called Flamingo Gardens, an unimposing venue with almost no signs indicating it was even there. If it weren’t for Apple Maps, we would have driven right past.
As the name implies, Flamingo Gardens is home to dozens of magnificent pink flamingoes, but also more than forty other species of birds, including macaws, falcons, owls, and eagles. It also has non-aviary animals like a brown bear, a bobcat, river otters, and turtles.
It’s not a zoo, it’s a sanctuary, where injured animals are taken in and cared for with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. But many of them have been harmed so badly (e.g. a one-eyed hawk) that Flamingo Gardens becomes their permanent home. That gives visitors like us an opportunity to get up close with many of them — although we stayed away from the alligators!
It was marvelous to see all the animals, but the white peacock blew me away so much I had to share it with you.