I wonder if some of the more seasoned photographers would chime in about color cast...

Since starting avian photography oh, about a year ago, I hear a lot of people mentioning a color cast in a critique as if it is something that must go. Aren't these casts created at the scene and by the scene? And if so, isn't it 'what' the photographer saw? (I've always had this issue with night shots that attempt to make the image looker brighter than it actually was...usually a long exposure will make the details viewable but not artificially lit...anyway...)

When a (sunset) light cast is present, no one seems to mind a white bird that looks orange...but it seems in any other instance, a color cast is not welcomed. If it was what the photog saw, why is this so? I don't seem to mind them but maybe I'm just not meant to critique.

Thanks in advance for your comments.