Traumatised pigeon found in New York, dyed pink, after gender-reveal party
A pigeon was found dyed pink and starving to death in New York City after a gender reveal party. (Wild Bird Fund.)
A pigeon in New York was dyed bright pink for a gender-reveal party. Yes, really.
The young king pigeon was discovered in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park showing signs of malnutrition, according to non-profit organisation Wild Bird Fund.
The organisation stated that the pigeon may have been dyed pink for a gender-reveal party.
In a Twitter thread, Wild Bird Fund stated that the animal was “deliberately dyed” and released, alongside a picture of the pink bird.
“Pigeons come in many different colours, but pink isn’t one of them. This king pigeon was deliberately dyed and released,” it wrote.
“As a domestic bird, unable to find food in the wild, fly well or escape predators, this poor kid had it bad enough before being dyed.
“He’s also barely more than a fledgling but shows signs of long-term malnutrition. Luckily, a kind person rescued him and he’s now safely in care,” the statement continued.
Gender-reveal parties are a tradition that started in the US. Traditionally used by heterosexual couples, they are starting to get more bizarre – and now, cruel. Expectant couples normally have some kind of ceremony, such as a cake-cutting or balloon-popping, showing contents that are either be blue of pink – to reveal the sex of their child.
Wild Bird Fund continued to say that domestic animals, such as the pigeon, should never be released into the wild because they become prey or starve to death.
“If you find an all-white pigeon (or any odd colour), especially one looking scared and lost, it needs help,” the group said.
The organisation has helped more than 7,500 sick, injured, or in this case, dyed, animals before releasing them back into the city.
The danger of gender reveals
Gender reveal parties frequently end in disaster – for both animals and humans.
In 2021, a couple were charged with involuntary manslaughter after their gender reveal party saw a huge wildfire break out at the El Dorado Ranch Park in southern California. The fire was caused after a smoke bomb set the grass ablaze.
A firefighter named Charlie Morton was killed while fighting the inferno and 13 other people were injured.
That same year, a gender reveal party held in Canada resulted in a family being fined $600 after a pyrotechnic at the party sparked a sprawling wildfire in Alberta.
In 2022, a couple in Brazil added to a growing list of ridiculous and potentially dangerous gender reveals after they dyed a 60-foot-tall waterfall blue. Following the incident they were investigated for potential environmental damage.
Aside from the obvious danger in creating your own homemade explosives, many LGBTQ+ people have pointed out that these parties are harmful because the gender norms they promote can be restrictive to the children as they grow up.
