SIGHTINGS of a very rare pigeon spotted around Bracknell recently have been quashed after the RSPCA confirmed it is in fact an ordinary pigeon.

A man was baffled after he spotted a bright PINK pigeon scavenging in a business park in Bracknell - which was thought to have been a rare bird native to Mauritius and Madagascar.

However, it has been confirmed that the bird spotted in the area had been dyed that colour by a person.

An RSPB spokesperson stated that the bird's bright hue was not natural, meaning it is not from the Nesoenas Mayeri family.

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

Speaking soon after the bizarre discovery, he 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."

An RSPCA spokesperson said: "Birds are living creatures and dyeing them in this way sends out an extremely worrying message that they could be viewed as novelties rather than as intelligent, sentient beings with feelings.

"Dyeing a pigeon could cause health problems, impair his ability to fly and make him more vulnerable to predators.

"The dye could also be toxic and he would be likely to try to clean the substance from his feathers which could result in him swallowing it."