Pink pigeon spotted in Berkshire could be rare ­species from 6,300 miles away in Mauritius

THERE’S been a blush of interest in this pink pigeon which some think may be a rare ­species from 6,300 miles away in Mauritius.

The exotic-looking creature was spotted by Ben Hanks, 26, and looks similar to the Nesoenas Mayeri pink pigeons - native to Mauritius.

There are fewer than 500 of the colourful birds left - and it seems one could have made its way to Arlington Square business park in Bracknell.

Accountant Ben was enjoying a lunch outside with a friend when he spotted the bird searching for food near his office.

Ben, from Arborfield, Berkshire, said: "I have never seen anything like this before and we were both very confused when we first spotted it.

"I reached for my phone to take a photo immediately as I didn't think anyone would believe me if I didn't have evidence.

"We did find it very funny, but then tried to come to some form of explanation behind its colouring.

"There were no other pigeons or birds around, just this one pecking at the ground. It didn't seem bothered by us at all."

Listed as vulnerable by conservationists, pink pigeons are almost exclusively found living in Mauritius and Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean.

In 1991 pink pigeons were on the verge of extinction and numbers slumped to as low as 10.

Numbers of the tropical bird have steadily increased and it's now thought there are around 500 living in the wild.

There have previously been reports of pigeons changing colour after eating pink food, or of fanciers deliberately dyeing their wings.

In 2015, a spate of pink pigeon sightings throughout the UK were traced to a pigeon fancier who said dyeing the birds' feathers helped to ward away falcons.

The RSPCA has warned against it, saying it was unnecessary and could cause harm to the birds if ingested.

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