A rare yellow cardinal draws eyes to St. Louis bird-watching

By Emily Woodbury

Published January 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM CST

A Yellow Northern Cardinal — born with what is likely genetic mutation that impacts only one in a million birds, according to the National Audubon Society. — A yellow northern cardinal — likely born with a genetic mutation that impacts only one in a million birds, according to the National Audubon Society.

The day after Christmas, Taka Yanagimoto, the St. Louis Cardinals’ director of photography, came upon a cardinal of a different sort in his backyard: a male specimen with a rare mutation that makes its feathers yellow instead of red.

A yellow northern cardinal sits by a bird feeder alongside a red cardinal and two blue jays.

“I opened up the sliding door in our sunroom, and I sat there. He was probably 10 feet away, and he came closer, tilted his head and looked at me somewhat curiously,” he said.

Yanagimoto has captured photos of the bird — whom he’s nicknamed “Ray” — every day since.

“It's not a rare species, but it is a rare condition called xanthism,” said St. Louis Audubon Society board member Bill Rowe. “It's due to a [genetic] mutation. I've [also] seen cardinals like this that were partly white and partly red that look like peppermint candy.”

On Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air, Rowe and fellow birder Ben Koenig discussed the 125th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the rising popularity of birding and shared tips for bird watching in the St. Louis region.

A large songbird with yellow eyes, grey feathers and a long, slightly curved bill sits on a plant — A sage thrasher sits on a plant in Columbia Bottom Conservation Area on October 26, 2024. That day, "Birders came in droves and the huge grassy flood plain had a festive atmosphere with the congregating birders," Ben Koenig said.

“Cold weather can bring some really cool birds down from much farther north. Gulls may show up at Riverlands that are very rare. You can only find them at times like this,” Rowe said. “Bluebirds in the snow are a whole lot different from bluebirds in the spring. Robins, too — their colors pop in a way that they don't in the warmer weather.”

Ben Koenig, left, is a St. Louis birder with the goal to see every bird species in the world, and Bill Rowe, right, is past president and board member of the St Louis Audubon Society. — Ben Koenig, left, is a St. Louis birder with the goal of seeing every bird species in the world, and Bill Rowe, right, is past president and board member of the St Louis Audubon Society.

Listen to the full conversation — including an interview with Taka Yanagimoto on Ray the yellow cardinal — on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or by clicking the play button below.

Bird watching is having a moment. St. Louis birders share their tips and tricks

Related Events
What: Bird walks with St. Louis Audubon
When: Saturdays throughout the month (see calendar for details)
Where: Various locations including Forest Park, Riverlands and August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area

What: Great Backyard Bird Count
When: Feb. 14–17
Where: The count can be done anywhere you find birds

And for those interested in bird watching, Bill Stowe offers these tips:

“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.