A shocking social media trend for dying birds for gender reveal parties is leaving them more vulnerable to predators and compromising their ability to fight off deadly toxins
A 'horrendous' gender reveal party trend is inadvertently killing birds to get likes on social media.
The RSPCA has issued a stark warning to parents-to-be after a pigeon covered in pink dye died in Corby, Northamptonshire. Animal welfare bosses fear it was dyed as part of a social media-fuelled fad - made popular in the US - which involves releasing birds dyed pink or blue at parties to reveal the gender of an unborn child.
As well as the colourful dye containing toxins that are harmful to animals, the makeover can leave the birds more vulnerable to predators and more likely to be 'picked on' by their own species. In this tragic case, the pigeon was severely unwell and malnourished when it was taken to Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital and did not survive.
The RSPCA believes the problem is becoming more widespread in the UK. A spokesperson for the organisation said: "The majority of us want the best for animals, and to treat them with respect - so intentionally painting a pigeon's feathers is unacceptable as it could cause health problems, impair their ability to fly and make them more vulnerable to predators.
"In addition, dye and paints can be toxic to birds and other animals, and they would be likely to try to clean any such substance from their coat or feathers which could result in them swallowing it. From time to time, we do hear anecdotally about incidents involving animals being affected in this way - and sadly we fear social media trends could be fuelling this."
The animal center, based in Kibworth, Leicestershire, shared a warning on social media after the pink pigeon involved was attacked by a cat and suffered 'significant wounds'. They wrote: "Yesterday, we admitted this pigeon which had been dyed pink. The pigeon was most likely used for a gender reveal party and is absolutely shocking.
"It has become a horrendous trend and we are urging you to spread the message about the effects that this can have. Please think before you follow these social media trends. Quite simply, it is an act of cruelty and is no way to celebrate the gender of your baby. As in the case of this pigeon, the dye makes the birds a much easier and identifiable target to predators.
"They may also be 'picked on' by other pigeons causing them to struggle with getting food - exacerbated by the fact that these pigeons are usually bred in captivity and so have absolutely no sense of how to survive in the wild.
"The dye also contains toxins which can be inhaled, or ingested by the pigeon, causing them to become incredibly unwell. This pigeon sadly didn't make it, he was incredibly malnourished, dehydrated and had significant wounds caused by the cat. Please share to spread the message."
Amy Ducker, from Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital, commented: "In any case, using domestic birds for releases at weddings or parties never seems to end that well for the pigeons or doves. They're domestic animals and they've never lived in the wild so they don't really know what they're doing."
She added: "People obviously don't realise when they see these trends going on on social media and they don't even stop to think whether it's something that's right or wrong. I suppose they just look at it and think everyone's doing it so it must be OK."
In February, a pigeon named Flamingo, rescued from a park in New York City, died after it too was dyed pink as part of a suspected gender reveal ceremony. The Wild Bird Fund said previously: "Flamingo's story sparked a lot of emotion and generated interest from around the world. We hope the tale of his too-short life will help prevent more acts of careless cruelty.
"Dove releases sound romantic, but take away the decorations and Instagram photos, and they are the equivalent of dumping your helpless pets on the side of the road. This is no way to celebrate anything."
To find out what to do if you witness an incident involving dyeing or painting an animal, please visit the RSPCA's website.
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
