A PIGEON is rarely thought of as a tropical bird.  But the sighting of a pink variety has proved a coo for Bournemouth.

Dozens of people have now reported sightings of the Barbie-pink bird around the town since we reported Vicci Wade's sighting yesterday, although the pigeon’s principal perch is the roof of wine bar Havana. 

Parrie, a postmaster at Charminster Road Sub Post Office said he first noticed the pigeon last week.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. The locals have been confused and taking photos.

“I reckon it’s a racing pigeon that’s been lost. It’s definitely been very well cared for because its feathers are trimmed.”

Quite how the pigeon acquired its unusual colouring has become cause for conjecture. One theory is the bird may have been caught up in the Rainbow Run in Poole recently. 

Luke spotted the bird at 6.45am this morning on Charminster Road in Bournemouth.

 

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On Saturday, Toby Redpath and his friends saw the bird in Charminster as they were on their way home from a night out.

 

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And Jasmin El-Hag sent a photo of the pigeon in Charminster as well.

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And the bird was also spotted by passengers on the bus through Charminster.

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And although it is highly unlikely, there is a pink pigeon which heralds from Mauritius, but is very rare and found in few locations.

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Picture by Angela Jones 

Bournemouth Echo:

Picture by Jack Kellythown

However, experts are certain the Charminster pigeon does not belong to this species. Paul Stancliffe from the British Trust for Ornithology said the bird had “definitely been dyed” and warned it would be more of a target to predators now due to its bright colour.

Katie Wilkinson from the Dorset Wildlife Trust said these birds are often fed a diet that makes their feathers turn pink.

“It’s similar to a flamingo,” she explained.

“They are bred and fed a diet of shrimp to turn them a certain colour and then bought for special occasions, such as weddings and christenings.”

Whatever the cause behind the colour, locals have appreciated the tropical-looking bird’s presence.

Chris Rossi remarked the pigeon was “unusual” and “a delight to look at” when seeing it for the first time.

“I thought it was dyed originally. There’s a sort of candy floss texture to it, it looks rather nice. I think it’s quite photogenic.

“It’s the sort of animal I’d like to rub my beard against,” he joked.

And Vicci Wade spotted it on Monday evening while she was cooking dinner. “I thought I was going nuts,” she said, “so I pointed it out to my boyfriend. He couldn’t see it at first and said I was going mad. But then he saw it and thought he was going nuts, too.”

“I’m not sure what it was but it was absolutely beautiful,” she added.

Have you had a sighting of a similar pigeon in your area? If so, you can get in touch with us at digital@bournemouthecho.co.uk.