As regular readers know, from time to time, I do like to bring something different and I think this post really does fit that description, as it's about a pink pigeon!
Have you ever seen a pink pigeon before?
photo credit - Paignton Zoo
If you are a fan of birds and the colour pink, (it's my favourite colour!) then this one is sure to put you in a flappy mood 😊
A zoo in the south of England has hand-reared a rare baby pink pigeon for the first time.
The species can only be found in the wild in Mauritius, a country in East Africa, but they are considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
It was once thought that their numbers in the wild were as low as nine in 1991, but since then they have been boosted thanks to conservation efforts like those seen at Paignton Zoo.
Tom Tooley, who works as a bird keeper at the zoo, came up with a special technique for hand-rearing baby birds that have been abandoned or orphaned by their parents.
He's been teaching this technique to others so they can help the rare birds too.
Tom says his technique allows the baby pigeons, which are known as squabs, to "naturally consume" their food.
People working for the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), that help protect the country's threatened plants and birds including the pink pigeon, have been getting help from Tom since 2014.
Pink pigeons are herbivores and tend to eat buds, leaves, fruits and seeds.
Aside from the obvious difference in colour, they look quite similar to the pigeons you might see here in the UK.
When they are in flight, they make a call which sounds like 'hoo hoo'.
The adults tend to mate for life, with the females tending to lay two white eggs, which hatch two weeks later.
The species is part of a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) which hopes to ensure the long-term survival of the species.
Words and image from story here
~ xxx oooo xxx ~
You can read more about pigeons and doves of the UK here
Do pigeons visit your garden? Perhaps you see them in your town. Have you been fortunate to see a pink pigeon? Do please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Photo Credit - Robert Bannister
Do pigeons visit your garden? Perhaps you see them in your town. Have you been fortunate to see a pink pigeon? Do please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Thank you for visiting and reading this blog ...
All the best Jan
...here, pigeons are an urban critter!
ReplyDeleteVERY pretty colored bird indeed!!!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a pink pigeon. However, my neighbor feeds the pigeons and I will say, as much as I like them, they are a nuisance for me.
ReplyDeleteHow cool. What a special bird,
ReplyDeleteLinda paloma. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first moved into our home we had mourning doves in our back yard, but several years later they were gone. I loved their call. It seems that ordinary pigeons live in the city. We don't have them at all out where we live, away from the crowds.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see a pink pigeon someday.
Oh gracious! Pigeons here are more of a nuisance, I'm afraid. They nest under our solar panels and often drop lice that crawl into the house. Unfortunately too many people feed them which causes the population to grow and take over space for the native birdlife.
ReplyDeleteI like the pigeon's pink color, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSO interesting! Thank you for sharing, Jan.
ReplyDeletePink is my favorite color. However, I never want to attract pigeons! Cities chase pigeons away with noise and all manner of ways. We basically hate pigeons. But, that pink one is cute.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't even heard of a pink pigeon much less seen one. How wonderful that they have found a way to rear them.
ReplyDeleteDidn't even know there was a pinkish coloured pigeon. Thanks for that, Jan.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. I think I've read that flamingos are pink because of the shrimp they eat. I think that pink pigeon looks like it's from an old Polaroid photo. I rarely see pigeons in the suburb. Sometimes I hear one in the trees. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThat is certainly unique!
ReplyDeleteWe've been getting Wood Pigeons in our gardens. Lovely birds, but pesky pests too when they pull up young plants such as an entire broad bean crop!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day, Debbie
Bem diferente mesmo esse pombo! Gostei de ver! beijos,chica
ReplyDeleteI would be delighted to see a pink pigeon - how pretty.
ReplyDeleteFascinating!
ReplyDeleteA pink pigeon is special, I have seen some colorful pigeons.
ReplyDeleteTake care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.
New to me! He's very pretty!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of white pigeon but of a pink one :-) Information I didn't know. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty.
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
We have pigeons but no pink ones! SO pretty!
ReplyDeletehugs
Donna
as i am sure you know, i really enjoyed this post. it is a beautiful pink pigeon, i have seen all different colors but never pink!! i hope you are ok, even though i don't visit every day, i think of you often!!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a pink pigeon, thank you for sharing that with me. How pretty!
ReplyDeleteOops, other comment was from the wrong account. Love the pigeon, I hadn't see a pink one before. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteNew to me too. Thanks for sharing this, Jan.
ReplyDeleteHe sure is pretty.
ReplyDeleteAll the pigeons that I have seen are either white or gray. How special! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI love pink! Delightful pink pigeon!
ReplyDeleteNo, es la primera que veo de este color. Tenemos palomas en el huerto, salen mucho y vuelven. Gracias Jan.
ReplyDeleteBuena semana para Todos.
Un abrazo.
What a delightful and heartwarming story! A pink pigeon—how unique and beautiful! It's wonderful to hear about the conservation efforts being made to protect such a rare species. The dedication of people like Tom Tooley, helping to hand-rear these precious birds, really shows how much can be done when we come together to protect the world’s wildlife. I love that this little squab is not only adorable but also a symbol of hope for the species.
ReplyDeleteWe're almost at the weekend—how has your week been so far? I just posted a new blog!
GOOGLE TRANSLATE
ReplyDeleteJ.P. Alexander
Linda paloma. Te mando un beso.
Cute pigeon. I send you a kiss.
chica
Bem diferente mesmo esse pombo! Gostei de ver! beijos,chica
Very different indeed this pigeon! I liked to see it! Kisses,chica
Laura. M
No, es la primera que veo de este color. Tenemos palomas en el huerto, salen mucho y vuelven. Gracias Jan.
Buena semana para Todos.
No, it's the first one I've seen in this color. We have pigeons in the garden, they come out a lot and come back. Thank you Jan.
Good week for everyone.
yea pigeons visit sometimes but on the roof top mostly instead garden dear Jan
ReplyDeletenever saw pink one
rarest i guess as you mentioned
great that people trying to save them from distinction
blessings
I remember reading about the pink pigeons but never actually seen one! Cute :-D
ReplyDeletePink is a very, very fun choice. I've never seen a pink bird. What fun.
ReplyDeleteI have seen pink pigeons in Mauritius - on a reserve, since they are not afraid of or evolved to deal with humans or indeed any predators. I think the plan is to reintroduce them on an uninhabited island near Mauritius when they won't get caught immediately, or fall out of their rather useless nests and get snapped up by a dog or cat.
ReplyDeleteNunca habÃa visto una paloma rosa, sà torcaces y comunes. Besos.
ReplyDeletewow it is so amazing how we are seeing more rare animals these days, that is so cool and I love the last picture too, we don't have pigeons here with mauve chest, well at least not that I have seen, so pretty! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDelete