One side of the bird’s body was covered in striking scarlet feathers and topped off with a dramatic red crest, while the other side was a dowdy buff brown. It looked as if two half birds had been glued together down the middle, and, in a way, they had. The bird was a gynandromorph – an exceptional intersex that’s split straight down the centre line. The showy red side was a male cardinal bird complete with solitary internal testicle, whereas the brown side had an ovary instead. This bilateral condition is rare but has been documented in a number of birds, butterflies, insects and crustaceans –
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