This unusual blackbird pictured above is leucistic, meaning it has a genetic mutation that prevents pigments from being deposited normally in its feathers, making it very vulnerable to predators. Yet, it has so far beaten the odds, having resided for the last four years in the woodland of Rufford Abbey Country Park. According to observers, it has consistently shed its black feathers for white feathers every year.

In a world with two or three suns, plants might turn black, according to a new research study. It’s not because the extra suns would fry the vegetation to a crisp; rather, the plants’ color might change depending on how much of the visible light spectrum they absorbed for energy. In a multi-star system, plants depending on dim red dwarf stars for energy might evolve to absorb all colors of light. The result? Plants that appear black as night to the human eye.