[K-Blast]

(admin, please feel free to move the thread if it does not belong in this subforum)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...of-Bolton.html

Residents in a flap after pigeon with unusual plumage is spotted on a roof in Bolton

• Resident David Taylor spotted the multi-coloured bird flying around his road
• The pigeon has pink and white plumage and a 'normal' grey head
• The bird may have changed colour after eating too much pink food

By Darren Boyle

Published: 10:52 EST, 23 June 2014 | Updated: 13:56 EST, 23 June 2014

Locals in Bolton could not believe their eyes when they spotted a bright pink pigeon flying around their street.

David Taylor, 58, saw the unusual bird, which has white and pink plumage and a grey head, flying around the street as he ate his breakfast.

The regional sales manager, from Breightmet, captured the images of the bird only seconds before it flew away.

He said: 'I saw a pink bird on the roof on the house opposite me and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

'It looked very unusual so I grabbed my camera because I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I told them what I’d seen.

'I went back to get a picture but it had gone so I thought I’d missed my chance.

'Thankfully it re-appeared about 15 minutes later so I got the pictures quickly then it flew away.

'I’ve never heard of a pink pigeon before so who knows where its from.'

Gemma Pidluski, 27, posted images of the unusual bird on her Facebook account after it landed in her back garden.

She said: 'I have just been sitting at home and a pink pigeon has landed on my shed roof. Is it real?

'I have googled it and sure enough there are pink pigeons.

'Bit of nice news for a change.'

Another resident, Jackie Fish, thought the bird had been painted in tribute to the England World Cup squad after spotting it only minutes before they took to the field against Uruguay.
Jackie, 57, said: “I just saw it there and realised it had been painted white and red, to look like the England flag.

'I have to say as supporting England goes, this is a bit too much and I would class it as cruelty and a bit beyond a joke if that was the case.'

There is a known breed of pink pigeon, called nesoenas mayeri, which are native to Mauritius, but they are incredibly rare and are almost completely white.

But the cause of the pigeon’s pink hue is not known, however, a diet of high levels of beta carotene and canthaxanthin which are harmless natural food pigments.

[K-Blast]

a newer news story concerning the "pink" pigeon:
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/ne...ill_a_mystery/

Pink pigeon is identified - but colour is still a mystery

By Vickie Scullard

8:06am Wednesday 25th June 2014

A PIGEON expert has identified a pink bird spotted in Bolton as a Tippler — but admits he has no idea why it is such as unusual colour.

Terry Dawber, secretary at the North West Homing Union, says that pigeon fanciers would call the colour red, not pink — but added the colour pattern is rare.

He added that some fanciers dye their pigeons to distinguish which are the better flyers.

And it seems the unusual bird is on the move as it has been spotted elsewhere in Breightmet.

Joanne Carney of Crossdale Road took a snap of the pigeon in her back garden last Thursday.

Local resident David Taylor captured the unusual looking bird in Tetbury Drive at about 8am on Friday.

Since the photograph featured in The Bolton News, it has baffled residents as to why it has such brightly coloured feathers — one saying it might have been dyed the colours of the St George’s flag to represent England in the World Cup.

Mr Dawber said: "Tipplers are bred for their flying endurance and ability. Looking at the photograph, the bird has got a normal coloured head of what we call a 'light print' Tippler, but the coloured sections are definitely 'pink' — or as we pigeon men would call it, red.

"To have that colour pattern occurring naturally is very rare indeed. It does happen with the racing pigeons and some call it a 'mosaic', but that is up to the pigeon man concerned.

"It has been known for some fanciers over in East Lancashire to dye their pigeons plumage and this is done so that when the birds are flying they can distinguish between the individual birds and how good they fly."

Back in February a bright pink pigeon was spotted in Darlington and back in 2012 a similar bird was seen in Ealing, west London.

Tippler facts

• A Tippler is a breed of domestic pigeon which is bred to participate in endurance competitions.
• The sport of seeing which bird can fly the longest originated from England in 1840.
• Tipplers are very intelligent birds and can be trained to fly long hours and drop only when the trainer asks them to.
• Flying results of up to 22 hours non stop have been reported, which makes it the most outstanding endurance-flying breed in recorded existence.

[kellyhound]

must indeed have been painted that way before the match.

[corpsehands]

Shoot it, shoot them all

[candice81]

they are a pain in the ass in urban areas, although I love their sounds.

[Flapmon]

but it's kinda pretty ... but kinda not.

[commondenom]

Originally Posted by K-Blast ↗

the coloured sections are definitely 'pink' — or as we pigeon men would call it, red.

it's fucking pink you idiot!!! i suppose they all think those pink shirt wearing city boy wankers are actually wearing red!! fucking girls... pink is for girls no matter how many times they try and tell you it's red FFS

[BadAshly]

Aw it's just an innocent bird

[zin0]

Most likely painted to identify it. Looks cool though.

[Ninjavandal]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

must indeed have been painted that way before the match.

I'd say so, too.