Incredibly rare pink baby pigeon hand-reared using a unique technique at UK zoo in fascinating video

Fascinating footage shows how a rare pink baby pigeon was hand-reared using a unique technique at a UK zoo.

In the video, we see how the pink pigeon squab was placed in a bowl with twigs to replicate a nest and weaned onto a formula made from mixed seeds, before the bird was ready to fledge.

Pink pigeons, endemic to Mauritius, are on the red list for both the IUCN and BirdLife. In 1991, pink pigeons were on the brink of extinction, with their wild numbers thought to have been as low as nine. But through conservation efforts, their population numbers have significantly increased.

Tom Tooley has worked as a bird keeper at Paignton Zoo in Devon, where the bird was hand-reared, for more than 27 years. During this time, he developed an innovative technique for hand-rearing the baby birds, also known as squabs, that have been abandoned or orphaned by their parents. Tom is now teaching his unique hand-rearing method to others.

He said: “Instead of using conventional crop tubing, I developed a method which involves attaching a carefully sized catheter to a syringe which can be gently placed on the squab’s tongue. This approach allows the squabs to naturally consume the hand-rearing formula, eliminating the need for crop tubing, which can be stressful and harmful to the birds”.

Stephen Kings, Chief Executive Officer for the Wild Planet Trust, said: “It’s been a fantastic year for our bird breeding programmes. Tom’s skilled approach to hand-rearing this squab, along with the collaborative efforts of our dedicated bird team, is yet another testament to our zoo-based expertise in wildlife conservation”.