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Ammon News - Rabia, 17, has been reading up on the colourful pigeon after she spotted it just before Christmas on December 22.

A ‘fascinating’ pink pigeon has been spotted by shoppers wandering the streets, prompting one person to research the rare colouring.

Rabia, 17, has been reading up on the colourful pigeon after she spotted it just before Christmas on December 22.

The pigeon has been nicknamed ‘Penelope’ by locals after the glamorous Thunderbirds puppet famed for her pink car and clothing.

Sighting of similarly coloured birds are rare however, experts believe Penelope may have been dyed by a previous owner before being released or escaping from her home.

Rabia, said: “I was just fascinated by the bird – and my family are fascinated, too.”

The teenager, from Solihull, first saw Penelope on the High Street but swears she has not tampered with the colours and the pigeon is naturally in pink.

A British Trust for Ornithology spokesperson concluded a similarly coloured bird in Bournemouth had been dyed by a third party, according to Coventry Live.

Commenting on the Dorset pigeon, they said: “This pigeon has been deliberately dyed, there’s no question about it.”

“It is covered in pink from beak to tail, and every feather has colour on it.”

The spokesperson added: “It’s not unheard of for white pigeons to be dyed by their owners for use at magic shows or weddings where they will be released, then recovered.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of one escaping into public, though.”

But, there is also another theory about how Penelope got her colour.

She could have also been fed a diet that changed her colouration, for example, experts say Flamingos are pink because of the brine shrimps they devour.

*dailyrecord