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Nobody knows why this snowy owl is orange—David Bird weighs in

Published: 26 March 2025

An orange tinted snowy owl in Michigan has baffled scientists with its orange colouring, . Experts say it could be a genetic mutation, an accident, or human mischief.

Ornithologist and Professor Emeritus at ɬÀï·¬, David Bird, expressed some doubts about the strange colouration being caused by genetics.

"There would have to be some sort of gene in the genetic makeup of snowy owls to cause that blatant orange colour, which means that we would historically have seen some snowies with a bit of orange on their plumage at some point," he said.

Bird says he's never heard of another snowy owl with red or orange spots.

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