There are many orange animals on Earth. Some are famous, like the Bengal tiger, and some are more obscure, like the recently discovered Myotis nimbaensis, a species of orange bats. However, most well-known animals are decidedly not that color, nor are any of their genetic variations. For a long time, people assumed snowy owls fall under that category. After all they are named for their white plumage, which is often covered in brown or black patterns. Then came Rusty, also known as Creamsicle, a snowy owl living in Michigan, USA.
“The Orange Snowy Oil is Indeed Real”
John Pepin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, confirmed to Snopes that “the snowy owl sighted and photographed in Huron County is indeed real.”
Bill Diller was the first to share photos of it on Facebook in January, saying the locals have dubbed it Rusty. These pictures piqued the interest of amateur wildlife photographer Julie Maggert, who began scouting locations to find the strange bird. Then she saw it while sitting in traffic. The owl was right there on a nearby utility pole, with bright orange and pink feathers spread across its back, head, and face. Maggert later nicknamed it Creamsicle. She has been photographing snowy owls for six years, and she had never seen a specimen like it. “When I first seen her up there, I was like, no way,” said Maggert to As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal. “My adrenaline was pumping and I was shaking because I was so excited. And I’m like, I have to have all my camera settings just perfect. And I got her.”
As the news of an orange snowy owl spread, so did researchers’ interest in it. All have the same question: Why are its feathers that color? Karen Cleveland, wildlife biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and her team have been tracking Rusty/Creamsicle for a few months now. They shared a few possibilities. “Among the most likely explanations are genetic mutation, accidental staining, and deliberate staining,” said Cleveland, according to CBC. “Deliberate staining is generally either explained by marking done for scientific research purposes or marking done by nefarious miscreants for reasons known only to themselves.”
The Genetic Mutation Theory
The theory of genetic mutation was first shared by Kevin McGraw. He is a biologist at Michigan State University and an author of a book about bird colouration. He claimed that the orange feathers could be from repressed genes that were triggered by environmental stressors, like pollution, heavy metals, oxidative damage, or pesticides. If that’s the case, other snowy owls theoretically could turn orange if exposed to the right conditions. “This animal got exposed probably to something unique,” he said to MLive. “But I would say we can’t be too, too sure. It could have happened to mom, and mom could have passed that on to the young.”
However, other experts are skeptical about this theory. Among them is Auburn University ornithologist Geoffrey Hill, who had co-authored a book with McGraw. Hill stated that if it were truly a genetic mutation, the orange color would only appear where the feathers are normally black. “The pigmentation is not very symmetrical and appears on the parts of a normal snowy owl that are white,” he explained.
Similarly, ornithologist David Bird says McGraw’s theory is plausible, but it has some holes. “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 wrote to CBC. However, he and many other experts have never come across a pink or orange snowy owl before. According to McGraw, there’s no way to confirm the gene theory without analyzing a feather from Creamsicle.
Dye, Trackers, or AI?
Downregulated genes are only the tip of the iceberg. Scott Weidensaul, a co-founder of Project SNOWstorm, a research group focused on snowy owls, has been inundated with emails about the enigmatic bird. He’s heard theories about how the feathers are orange because Rusty ate too much shrimp. Or the bird was making a fashion statement, using the blood of its prey as makeup. Whatever the case, Weidensaul doesn’t believe the owl was born orange. However, he dismisses the idea that the photo was digitally altered. “I’m not an AI expert, but I have yet to see any AI or CGI program that successfully replicates the complexity of a live bird’s plumage in a way that an experienced observer wouldn’t detect it,” he said.
Read More: The Atacama Desert is The Driest Place On Earth, Surprises With Very Rare Winter Bloom
Another popular theory is that the owl was painted by researchers to track them. For instance, biologists may paint marks on seabirds to identify them from a distance. This doesn’t seem the case here, since Weidensaul and other local research teams deny marking the bird. However, Weidensaul believes humans may still be responsible for the rust-colored plumage. “It seems pretty clear that the bird got sprayed, almost certainly by accident, with something that contained dye or paint,” he said. “Given the location, time of year and propensity of snowy owls to hang around airports, my Project SNOWstorm colleagues and I think the most likely cause was airport de-icing fluid, some formulations of which are red/orange.”
However, Maggert disagrees with the dye theory. “The way that it’s on its body… I don’t know how it could just accidentally rub up against paint all up on the front of her face and head and back,” she said to the New York Times.
“Healthy and Well” and Less Orange
Cleveland agrees with the de-icing fluid theory, but she and her team have no plans of capturing the snowy owl and testing its feathers. Since Rusty seems “healthy and well” and not in danger, they are choosing not to bother her. Based on Maggert’s photographs, Weidensaul believes Creamsicle is a juvenile male, which means he will likely molt and lose his orange-pinkish feathers when it’s time to mate. Maggert herself isn’t bothered by the many unanswered questions surrounding Creamsicle. “I was just so excited to finally get a good shot,” she said. “I like the mystery of it.”
Meanwhile, Diller spotted Rusty again in mid-March and took another photo. This time, the snowy oil was less orange. Diller said it’s unclear if the bird is molting or if the potential dye was fading away.
Read More: Rare Purple Princess Crabs Spotted in Thailand