'Poor things': Cockatoos with dyed feathers spark concern

Residents of a southern Sydney suburb are concerned after spotting two “coloured-in” cockatoos who appear to have had their white feathers dyed.

The native birds - one dyed red and the other blue - were discovered by a local of Bundeena this week.

While they did not appear to be in obvious discomfort, there was widespread outrage over the birds being captured and subjected to potentially harmful dye.

Photos of the duo were shared to Facebook on Tuesday in a post questioning “who would do such a thing?”.

Many people expressed worry for the welfare of the birds, saying that some types of dye could be dangerous to their health.

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“I don't think it's very good for them (toxic?) And if someone is being funny it's just not. They would have to be held down and sprayed possibly. This is not good,” one person wrote in a comment.

“Poor things. People can be so cruel,” someone else wrote.

Another said they thought the dye would be “probably burning their skin and eyes”.

One suggested perhaps there was something less sinister at play, saying the birds might have enjoyed a plash in a bird bath that had some dye in it.

“I hope it doesn't hurt them,” they added.

A local said she had heard that red and blue coloured powder were being used in the Bundeena area.

She said the powder seemed similar to what was commonly used at fun runs, which was a non-toxic combination of corn starch and natural food dye.

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