--- title: "Bird Advocates Horrified by Pigeon Dyed Pink For Gender Reveal Party" description: "A group of NYC bird advocates are denouncing whoever bought and dyed pink a domesticated pigeon for a gender reveal before releasing it into the wild." date: "2023-02-01" modified: "2023-02-01" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/pink-pigeon-gender-reveal" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "birds" - "gender reveal" - "pigeons" - "the digest" --- # Bird Advocates Horrified by Pigeon Dyed Pink For Gender Reveal Party ![A group of NYC bird advocates are denouncing whoever bought and dyed pink a domesticated pigeon for a gender reveal before releasing it into the wild.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Take a Gender As if the whole culture surrounding gender reveals wasn't [sketchy enough](), a new incident in New York City is "revealing" just how demented these bizarro parties really are. "Pigeons come in many different colors and plumages, but pink isn't one of them," the Wild Bird Fund rescue and rehabilitation center [wrote in a Facebook post]() about a poor critter that was found dyed pink in NYC's Madison Square Park. In an [interview with New York's *ABC7*](), a representative for the nonprofit said that the female bird, which they'd lovingly named "Flamingo," is a king pigeon that has never flown before and was likely purchased at a poultry market — and that they believe she was dyed for a gender reveal party. "She shouldn't be on the streets, she has no survival skills, she relies on people for everything," Antonio Sanchez of the Wild Bird Fund told the news broadcaster. "We were honestly disgusted that someone would do this." https://twitter.com/wildbirdfund/status/1620217533726081024 ## Just A Baby In its statement, the WBF said that Flamingo is "barely more than a fledgling" and "has it bad enough as a domestic bird unable to find food in the wild, fly well or escape predators. "Being a bright, unusual color makes him even more of a target," the PSA noted before urging people not to release domestic birds in the wild because "they will starve or be preyed \[upon\]." "If you see an all-white pigeon in the wild, or any tame bird standing around looking lost, it needs your help," the WBF urged. "Please catch the bird and bring it to a pigeon rescue or animal sanctuary near you." While this may not be the most [dangerously stupid]() [gender reveal]() stunt to make headlines, it's nevertheless disgusting that someone would not only purchase and dye an animal for such a weird reason, but also then release it into the wild. PSA: Don't dye birds, and don't throw gender reveal parties! **More on birds:** [*Furious Geese Are Defeating Humans, Scientists Find*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()