A Rare All-Black King Penguin Spotted

Welcome to Science News! Today, we bring you a fascinating discovery—a one-of-a-kind all-black king penguin, spotted among half a million of its peers on South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic.
During a recent expedition to Saint Andrews Bay, Belgian wildlife photographer and expedition leader Yves Adams made this extraordinary find. Amid the tuxedo-clad crowd of 500,000 king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), one stood out—a penguin with completely black plumage.
Unlike the species’ characteristic black-and-white feathers with golden patches on their ears, this rare individual’s plumage was entirely black, a result of a genetic condition called melanism. Melanism occurs due to the overproduction of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin, hair, and eye color in animals. This overproduction can cause the darkening of fur or feathers, as seen in this penguin. A few faint blueish-green patches on its neck and belly added to its unique appearance.

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