Now here’s something you don’t see every day.

Not wanting to be outdone by the pure white heart fish spotted in Ishikawa prefecture, representing the skies this week is a pure white crow spotted in the Chūgoku region of Japan. With dazzling white feathers and clear blue eyes, this feathered fellow has even managed to find his way into the local media.

According to the Japan Society for the protection of Birds, the crow belongs to the hashibuto or “jungle” crow species, but it is incredibly rare to see one with quite such white feathers. It was first spotted near woodland near the town of Oda, and has since attracted both locals and those from surrounding towns hoping to catch a glimpse of it sitting among its black brethren.

Although crows are featured in several Japanese folk tales, they are usually associated with bad luck in modern times, most likely due to the number of problems they’ve been known to cause.

It is estimated that there are now around 150,000 crows living in Tokyo alone, prompting the city to come up with measures to keep their numbers under control. As well as ripping into garbage bags left out for collection and even stealing food right from people’s hands, the birds are especially aggressive during April and May when they are known to swoop down and attack those who make eye contact with them while they guard their nests.

Perhaps this white fellow is hoping to help its brothers mend their wicked ways? Or perhaps it’s just a little different and baffled by the attention its receiving. Either way, it’s a genuinely beautiful bird and just goes to show that nature really does come in all shapes and sizes.

Source: Gizmodo Japan