Pink Pigeon Dies After Being Released Into the Wild, Likely Due to Inhaling Toxins from Dye

A domestic pigeon that was dyed pink and released into the wild has died, likely due to inhaling toxins from the dye, according to the Wild Bird Fund, a New York City wildlife rescue service. The bird, nicknamed Flamingo, was found last week at Madison Square Park and was taken in by the Fund.

The Fund suspects that the bird, a domestic king pigeon, was deliberately dyed pink and then released. Pigeons come in many different colors and plumages, but pink isn’t one of them. The Fund believes hair dye was most likely used to change the pigeon’s color.

The bird was malnourished when it was found and the Fund said it was already in a vulnerable state due to being a domestic bird unable to find food in the wild, fly well or escape predators. The bright, unusual color made it even more of a target.

Despite the Fund’s best efforts to reduce the fumes coming off the dye and keep the bird calm and stable, it died on Tuesday. The Fund said it believes the dye was the cause of death. The incident has sparked a renewed call for people to not release domestic birds into the wild.