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One In A Million! Incredibly Rare Yellow Cardinal Spotted

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA/CNN) -- A rare bird is taking the bird watching community by storm.

It's a cardinal, that is yellow, instead of red, and it's been spotted in the Alabama neighborhood of Theodore.

When Karem Maldonado spotted the rare bird in her back yard, the first thing she did was make sure to catch it on camera.

"I decided I was just going to practice taking pictures with the red ones, so I was just sitting down kind of hiding behind a green pillow," Maldonado said.

Researchers at the University of Alabama say the bird has a rare genetic mutation, causing it to be yellow. It's similar to albinism in humans.

The rare bird is one described as being one-in-a-million.

Maldonado is calling the bird "Mr. Sunshine" and says it touches her heart. Her dad was from Ohio and also an avid bird lover.

"To me it's just very special. My dad's been dead for 41 years, so that might be my dad," she says.

(TM and © Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CNN contributed to this report.)

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