According to a wildlife group, a pigeon rescued from a New York City park may have been dyed bright pink for a gender reveal party.
A shocking discovery of a pink pigeon has highlighted the dangers of releasing domestic birds into the wild.
The bird, named Flamingo, was deliberately dyed pink before being released and was later found by a Good Samaritan in New York City's Madison Square Park.
The Wild Bird Fund, a New York-based wildlife rehabilitation group, is currently caring for Flamingo and has shared two important warnings with its followers.
"Please never release domestic birds to the wild. Not for weddings, funerals, celebrations, art projects, anything," the Wild Bird Fund warned in a post on Instagram. "They will starve or be preyed on, even many of those supposedly trained to return home."
The group added that people should bring lost or wandering birds to a pigeon rescue or animal sanctuary for help.
In a follow-up post, the Wild Bird Fund also advised against dyeing birds, saying, "Never dye a bird!"
The group explained that the pink dye, believed to be human hair dye, was likely completely submerged on Flamingo before release, making it a slow process to remove the dye. The group is concerned about the bird's respiratory health due to the strong odor of the dye and the possibility of the bird ingesting the chemical through preening.
"We're also concerned about him ingesting the chemical through preening. He's currently quite weak and is struggling to keep food down," the Wild Bird Fund shared.
Despite the challenges, Flamingo is receiving care and treatment at the Wild Bird Fund's facility and is on the road to recovery.
The Upper West Side nonprofit bird rehab group speculated that the pigeon was used for a gender reveal or other celebration.
The group has urged people to celebrate their life events without harming others and to donate to Flamingo's care on their website.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, the discovery of Flamingo serves as a reminder of the harm that can be caused by releasing domestic birds into the wild or dyeing birds for celebrations. The Wild Bird Fund has warned against these practices and is working to help Flamingo recover.
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