NYC’s pink pigeon ‘Flamingo’ dies a week after being rescued

When pigeons die

New York City’s mysterious pink pigeon named Flamingo died last night after reportedly suffering an adverse reaction to the dye that covered her body.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Flamingo, our sweet pink dove,” New York bird keeper The Wild Bird Fund wrote in a heartbreaking squab tuary that made the rounds on Facebook.

The pink rock dove became an instant celebrity bird after WBF rescued her from Madison Square Park last month. Ornithology experts have been stunned by the flamingo’s pink coloring, which they suspect was intentionally painted on as part of a bird-brained gender-reveal stunt.

WBF blamed this callous color scheme for causing Flamingo’s death.

“Despite our best efforts to reduce fumes from the dye while keeping him calm and stable, he died during the night,” they wrote. “We believe his death was caused by inhaling the toxins.”

However, the non-profit organization postulated that the poor birdie would have perished even without “dying” due to its offspring status. “This king pigeon, a pet bird that was probably raised for food, was malnourished, barely older than a baby, and had no survival skills when it was released and left to fend for itself,” they explained.

In light of the tragedy, the EAER is warning the public against releasing domestic fowl into the wild, which they say will inevitably lead to their “starvation or predation”.

“Based on the hundreds of comments we’ve received, we know YOU know this, but please try to discourage others from releasing native birds for any reason,” the ornithological rehabilitation center pleaded. “Pigeon releases sound romantic, but when you take away the decorations and Instagram photos, they’re tantamount to dumping your helpless pets at the curb.”