A pigeon that was painted purple was discovered in a Queens park.
Posted on 08/16/2008 5:16:56 AM PDT by Daffynition
We heard it through the grapevine - Queens has a purple pigeon.
The royal-hued bird wasn't born that way, though. Someone with a sick sense of humor - or a problem with pigeons - painted him purple.
"Itwas terrible," said Joe Mora, an animal lover who rescued the birdThursday from a Long Island City playground, where onlookers were gawking at the oddly-colored columbine.
"It looks like this was done intentionally...it could have been blinded," Mora said.
He tried coaxing the lethargic bird to eat while asking anyone and everyone for advice on how to clean paint from its feathers and beak.
Friday,city Animal Care and Control officials transferred the pigeon to Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Nassau County who has extensive experience caring for injured birds.
The young pigeon, about three or four months old, might not survive the prank - if it was one, Horvath said.
"I have never seen anything like it," said Horvath, who is also a New York City firefighter.
"He's flightless at this point. His feathers are completely rigid," he said.
"His beak and mouth and eyes are clear of paint," Horvath said. "That's a positive thing."
Horvath said the bird has a better chance if the paint hasn't seeped through into his skin.
Morasaid he hopes someone in the neighborhood will come forward with information about the bird. He said he has heard stories about a man on nearby Roosevelt Island who dyed his dog's fur purple.
"If this was intentionally done to the bird, it certainly is animal cruelty," said ASPCA Assistant Director Joseph Pentangelo.
Ravens fan
Oh, for God's sake. As if there aren't enough pigeons in NYC.
maybe somebody just read "The Painted Bird". great book...
> The royal-hued bird wasn’t born that way, though. Someone with a sick sense of humor - or a problem with pigeons - painted him purple.
I don’t advocate cruelty to animals, but pigeons are little better than flying rats, spreading disease and pooping everywhere.
Somebody with a pellet rifle could solve the purple pigeon problem at little cost and no fuss. And with a few more pellets a healthy cull of the pigeon population could be achieved.
We used pellet guns as well.
Correctomundo. A quick and abrupt ending is preferred over cruelty .... for any critter.
This is what it looks like when doves dye: 
LOL
The Fowl Formerly Known As Prince
And then again...Think Seinfeld
Back in the 1980’s the bored Missile Security cops at a certain Launch Control Facility in North Dakota caught the gophers on the site and painted them neon colors.
The Wing Commander went to the site on one of his regular visits and saw dozens of these neon creatures running around, so he told the cops to cease and desist.
It was very funny, though.
it's wasn't all that bad as i remember it from 40 years ago, but that was 40 years ago, i found it in a desk at school. in the book birds were painted wild colors and released back into their flock to be attacked and killed as an outcast and never knowing why.
I was laughing so hard I almost couldn't get the gun up. Dropped them both like a Sporting Clays pair.
lol
Oh please.
I had a white cat that my brother took magic markers and made rainbow.
Unless the paint was toxic no biggie.
I do wonder how the bird sat still for the painting.
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