Rare black owl is one in 100,000

First albino squirrels, then black squirrels and foxes and now black owls!

Rare ... Sabele on the left has dark pigment

CAN you spot the difference? The one on the left is Sabele a one in 100,000 melanistic barn owl. The one on the right is Petra a normal barn owl. They both live at the Hereford Owl Rescue sanctuary. Sabele has an extremely rare mutation which causes the opposite of what happens in an albino. In this case an excess of the pigment melanin gives the bird black and dark brown feathers. But we bet they are still owl good friends!