Pigeons don’t tend to get a lot of love.
Often referred to as “flying rats” due to their frequency in cities and acidic droppings, the ubiquitous rock doves have an unfairly bad reputation.
But one special pigeon is helping people see these birds in a whole new light.
A photo of a pink-necked green pigeon recently went viral on Twitter and was dubbed “hot pigeon.”
The pink-necked green pigeon’s vibrant appearance stands out compared to his city cousins’ muted brown, gray, white and black feathers.
i’m mesmerized… pink-necked green pigeon pic.twitter.com/aH0YKL3OId
— shelby lorman (@sdlorman) March 8, 2021
With plumage in shades of green, blue, lilac, pale pink and yellow, these rainbow pigeons are hard to miss. But you won’t see them perched on any awnings in New York City.
The pink-necked green pigeon is commonly found in Southeast Asia, in forests, gardens and coastal mangroves. Unlike their unpretentious cousins, these pigeons primarily eat fruit, especially figs, and disperse their seeds throughout the woodlands.
This is pink neck green pigeons in southeast Asia in Vietnam. pic.twitter.com/eiTZBJQ3iO
— Christopher Kyle XK 🌮😺💎✨ (@XopherKyle) February 8, 2019
This handsome pigeon is helping people appreciate the more subdued grey pigeons they pass on the street every day.
And in the right light, the iridescent green and purple feathers on a city pigeon’s throat can make him look almost as handsome as “hot pigeon.”
Almost.