Half-Male, Half-Female Cardinal Observed in Pennsylvania; Has Boyfriend

There's news circulating about a rare half-male, half-female cardinal that's been seen in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jeffrey and Shirley Caldwell were the first birdwatchers to observe the half-vermillion, half-taupe cardinal and to recognize its significance. They first noticed it when it began feeding in their backyard bird feeder:
The bird with its combined genders is known as a bilateral gynandromorph. They are fairly rare, but apparently occur in all species of birds. The condition is just more noticeable in birds like the cardinals whose adult males and females look distinct from each other

National Geographic explains how this happens in birds:

Sex determination in birds is a little different than in mammals. In mammals, he says, males have one copy of each sex chromosome (X and Y) while females have two copies of the X chromosome. In birds, it’s the opposite. Their sex chromosomes are called Z and W, and it’s the females that have a single copy of each (ZW), whereas the males have two of the same (ZZ). Sex cells’ nuclei, including sperm and eggs, usually have only one copy of either chromosome—males produce only Z-carrying sperm, and females produce either Z- or W-carrying eggs. 

Gynandromorphy like that in this cardinal occurs when a female egg cell develops with two nuclei—one with a Z and one with a W—and it’s “double fertilized” by two Z-carrying sperm. The chimeric individual then develops with half of its body as a male ZZ and the other half as a female ZW. If you were to examine a cell from the bright red male side, it would have cells with ZZ chromosomes. If you looked at a cell from the left, it would have cells with ZW chromosomes. This phenomenon happens in birds, many insects, and crustaceans.

The article also explains that these birds are usually infertile. However, this particular cardinal might actually be fertile. It seems that this cardinal is female on its left side. Did you know that only the left ovary in birds is functional? I didn't. But I have no reason to distrust this news source.

The question of the gynandromorph cardinal's fertility may soon be put to the test. It apparently has a boyfriend, something that makes the Caldwells pleased. "We're happy it's not lonely."