Pink sparrow surprises with garden visit

A pink house sparrow has been filmed visiting a garden near Glasgow to feast on bird food.

Gordon Laird managed to video the bird during one of its visits to his father's home in Kirkmuirhill in South Lanarkshire.

Mr Laird said: "The sparrow appeared on Saturday and has been feeding with the rest of the sparrows ever since."

Ornithologists believe the bird may have developed its pink colour after feasting on salmon pellets.

Paul Stancliffe, of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), said the bird may have eaten pellets that were spilled on the ground somewhere.

He said: "We have been made aware of this by BTO Garden BirdWatchers before, and these birds do look quite arresting.

"It is thought that such birds have been feeding on spilt salmon feed pellets, or have access to salmon feed pellets, and that the shrimp content that helps turn the salmon flesh pink promotes the growth of these pink feathers.

"Basically these are the flamingos of the house sparrow world."

Ron Summers, principle conservation scientist at RSPB Scotland, said berries may also have caused the pink colour.

He said: "Berries high in rhodoxanthin, a pigment, have caused red/pink plumage in birds in North America.

"I assume this happens at the time the birds grow feathers during moult or as chicks. They would not be able to accumulate the colour on existing feathers."