Who dyed my favourite pigeons pink, asks student
BRIGHTLY COLOURED BIRDS MYSTERY
A PIGEONLOVER in Hartlepool has hit out at the cruelty of pranksters who have caught and dyed two of her beloved birds.
Residents in the town were left shocked when they saw a bright pink pigeon among the flock which usually gathers near the war memorial.
Some even thought it could be the rare endangered species of the bird, Nesoenas mayeri, of which there are very few in the world.
However the natural ‘pink pigeon’ only has a very slight tinge of the colouring to its neck feathers, whereas the one in Hartlepool is bright pink all over - much like a flamingo.
Swedish student Margareta Akermark, who can be seen almost every day feeding the pigeons in the town and who has given many of them names, said this bird that has appeared in Hartlepool is one she knows well and has been dyed and there is another which is also looking pink where the culprits have tried to dye it.
She said: “I know most of the birds. These have definitely been dyed. It’s actually extremely harmful for the two birds, so I’m worried that so many people seem to just see it as a funny joke.”
Margareta, 22, a student at the Northern School of Art, has spent two years researching pigeons, after finding out they make good pets.
She said: “One of the pigeons has paint on its beak and around its eyes as well, and I strongly doubt they’ve used animal safe dye.
“There’s two of them that have been dyed and its two of the pigeons with the most white in their colouring so someone specifically chose to dye them to make it more visible.
“There was a trend last year where people would grab white pigeons and dye them pink, so whoever did this might have stumbled onto the trend late.
“Birds are extremely sensitive to toxins so using anything that’s not specifically bird-safe on them can harm them or even kill them. And, dyeing like that also makes them much easier prey, since they stick out like a sore thumb to predators.”
Margareta said it’s cruel to have done this and it has really upset her. She said she wants to raise awareness that it is now something to be laughed about and could cause serious harm and stress to the birds.
Anthony Baker, who runs Hartlepool Wildlife Rescue, said: “The dyeing of pigeons is something that is not so commom in the UK, but increasing. I see absolutely no point in it, the dye could affect the pigeon’s ability to fly and makes them more vulnerable to predators. We must question is the dye safe for the pigeon when cleaning or for predators.”