A rare scene recently appeared in Kyoto, Japan: a pure white crow was spotted perching on an electric wire outside Kyoto City Zoo, constantly calling and looking around. After the zoo shared a video of it on Instagram and X, it attracted over 3 million “views” in a short time. The incident sparked heated discussion online in Japan, with many exclaiming that this was “the arrival of a divine messenger,” symbolizing that a good omen from ancient legends had reappeared in the human world.
Kyoto City Zoo uploaded the video on November 17, noting that while white crows are not completely unheard of, there is only about a 1-in-30,000 chance of them appearing in the wild. This crow, discovered by a zookeeper, had perfectly clean white feathers all over its body, but its eyes and beak remained black. Therefore, it was identified as a “partial leucism” variety, rather than a bird with complete albinism. Because such plumage makes them very conspicuous, white crows often face higher survival risks, making this video even more precious.
After the video was released, it became an instant sensation online. Many Japanese netizens marveled, saying, “It's so beautiful,” “It must be a messenger of the gods,” “I never knew white crows actually existed,” “This is my first time seeing a white crow,” “It’s so gorgeous—I hope it grows up safely.”
● Netizens Believe It Brings Great Fortune
Some users also pointed out that there are still many regions in Japan where Shintoism is practiced, and the white crow is seen as a sacred beast that can bring good fortune. Encountering a white crow is considered an extremely lucky miracle.
As of now, the zoo has not released any news on whether the crow is still in the area, but they remind the public not to disturb it if they encounter it, to avoid causing unnecessary stress.