Australia is known for its wide variety of creatures, many of which are a bit spooky, if we’re being honest. But the land Down Under is also home to plenty of adorable animals, too, like a number of birds. One of these birds is called the kookaburra. One way to recognize them is by their unique call — they sound like they’re laughing! They can also be identified by their white or grey feathers… well, that’s usually the case, anyway. But there are rare exceptions. And as luck would have it, one Australian woman discovered one of these exceptions in her very own backyard. This unusual bird had all the characteristics of a kookabura, with one exception: They had black feathers! Below is an example of what these birds typically look like. Plus, you can hear their incredible “laughter” as well! @sandiegozoo Kookaburra go brrrrrrrr #SanDiegoZoo #Animals #naturedocumentary ♬ original sound – San Diego Zoo One famous Australian veterinarian, Dr. Chris Brown, once said this phenomenon is “one in a billion,” adding that “only a handful of black kookaburras have been reported in the world.” So, what is it that causes this rare phenomenon? In short, Chris calls it a “random genetic fluke.” But the official name for it is melanism. This simply means that an animal has an excess of pigment. Check out this rare bird for yourself in the video below. Have You Ever Seen a Black Kookaburra in Person Before? The Odds Are Surprisingly Slim! @yahooaustralia Rare ‘one in a billion’ sight in #Aussie backyard stuns #kookaburra #yahooaustralia ♬ original sound – Yahoo Australia “The disruption of normal placement of the pigment melanin can make a melanistic animal, partially or entirely black, black and white, reddish, or oddly patterned,” Britt, an Australian bird expert, explains. While this may make you think of albinism, it’s actually very different — and more rare. In fact, according to Chris, “black mutations are 20 times rarer than even albinos.” Spotting a black kookaburra in and of itself is rather rare. But there’s another reason why this woman’s sighting was particularly awesome. When these sightings do happen, usually, they happen in New South Wales or Queensland. On the contrary, this one was located in Western Australia. In other words, it truly is incredible this moment happened and that she caught it on camera! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Australian Woman Spots “One In A Billion” Creature In Her Backyard appeared first on InspireMore.