Olivia Burke
A bright green pigeon which has been parading around Northampton has been baffling locals.
This is very much a case of having to see it to believe it, as it's hard to comprehend that a bird sporting such a vibrant hue would be waltzing around a UK high street.
Fortunately for us lot who aren't based in the East Midlands, the animal has become something of a viral sensation over the last few weeks, so there's plenty of amateur paparazzi pictures to go round.
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The bird has become a regular fixture on people's TikTok feeds as of late, as millions of Brits have been speculating about the mystery source of its bright green complexion.
It is regularly spotted pottering around near a church in the town centre, All Saints Church, and locals can't help but stop and stare.
One resident, Robin Hinkmott, managed to snap some pictures of the pigeon as it trotted in front of the house of prayer on 28 June.
"Me and my partner were playing Pokemon Go that weekend, so wandered that way to see if we could spot the shiny pigeon," Robin said.
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"If I had to guess it was someone having a laugh, or dyed for a wedding or a some sort of event. It doesn't seem to be negatively impacted by it or treated differently.
"I suppose there's a risk that it might be more visible to predators."
Another local, Alex Zambon, explained he regularly spots the bright green bird - which he says has become something of a local celebrity - on his dinner break.
"I often have my lunch around there and there's always people filming it," the 33-year-old explained.
"One guy said he'd come up from London and I've heard many travel long distances to see it, which is a bit bonkers, as Northampton isn't really known for loads of tourists.
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"So to have a pigeon as a tourist attraction is quite funny really. I heard one bird expert on the radio say it may be down to what it eats, like seagulls can go a bit pink if they eat shrimps. But it's a bit of a mystery."
Take a look at footage of it here:
Experts reckon it's a pretty cut and dry situation, though, rather than the bird being 'radioactive' or the 'Incredible Hulk of the bird kingdom', like some social media users have been suggesting.
Birdwatch Magazine optics editor, Mike Alibone, said he believes the bird was originally white in colour, but suspects it must have been dyed green.
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He explained: "The reason for this is not clear, but the bird has certainly escaped and joined the resident feral pigeon flock in Northampton town centre.
"Some racing pigeon owners are known to dye their birds, but it is not a particularly common practice that happens frequently in the UK.
"Some pigeons can be dyed pink or blue for a gender-reveal party - a tradition where expectant couples learn the sex of their baby using pink or blue items.
"Green may be a less common colour for dyeing, but this might also be linked to some form of 'columbicultura', where a single female pigeon seeks to avoid up to eighty 'gaudily painted' pigeons chasing and seeking to mate with her, which is not uncommon in Spain.
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"It's regarded as a sport - so it might be something connected with pigeon racing.
"With regard to how the bird is affected, it depends on the chemical composition of the dye and whether it contains anything poisonous to the bird or whether it affects the bird's natural waterproofing of its plumage."
Alibone believes its unusual colour 'should not affect flying ability', while remarking that it 'seemed in fine fettle' and was 'competing successfully' with its peers for food being thrown by passersby.
However, the RSPCA has previously issued warnings about the dangers of pimping out pigeons after seeing a social media-fuelled trend of expectant parents dyeing birds pink of blue for gender reveal parties.
Birds have died after inhaling toxins in the dye, while it can also impact their flying ability and make them more vulnerable to predators, the charity says.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "We suspect this pigeon’s feathers have been painted - something we seem to be hearing about more and more.
"The majority of us want the best for animals, and to treat them with respect - so it’s important to remember that intentionally painting a pigeon’s feathers can be dangerous for the animal.
"It can cause health problems, impair their ability to fly and make them more vulnerable to predators.
“Dye and paints can be toxic to birds and other animals, and they would be likely to try to clean any such substance from their coat or feathers which could result in them swallowing it.
"Until its next moult, this pigeon will likely be more at risk in the wild.
"Sadly, from time to time we do hear anecdotally about incidents involving animals being affected in this way - and sadly we fear social media trends could be fuelling this."