What started out as a hobby turned into a colorful enterprise called Rainbow Pigeons
If you're in the Pearl City area, you may be treated to Doug Beter's
colorful pigeons when they're out for a practice run.
Photos by Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Rainbow Pigeons, Doug Beter, Phone: 808-455-5990, Area of service - Oahu
By Burl Burlingame
Star-BulletinSteven Bruhn jammed on his brakes. "Look at that!" he yelped. "Are they from outer space?"
Wheeling in the air above Pearl City, brightly colored racing pigeons soared and banked, a thrown handful of jelly beans flying in formation.
"It's like a blessing!" breathed Bruhn's car partner, Maritza Macy. The Ewa residents had been traveling off a cane haul road when they had the pigeon close encounter. While Pearl City has always been known for its pidgin, pigeons are another matter. These colored "Rainbow Pigeons" are the pets/employees of Doug Beter, and may be unique in the world.
Fantail pigeon Precious perches atop Doug Beter's head. He has rented his Rainbow Pigeons for special events from kids parties to the Hula Bowl. By Dennis
Oda, Star-Bulletin
Beter, a big guy with hands like hams, handles the pigeons like delicate crystal. He had been working in a prison halfway house when it got to be too much for him.
"Every day, I was dealing with liars and thieves and murderers, and it was too stressful. I wanted to do something relaxing, and I thought of my birds."
Beter had a number of homing and racing pigeons, including expensive "fantail" show-offs, that he had entered in a number of interisland competitions. As a volunteer for the city Recreation Department at Easter events, Beter had temporarily dyed ducks and chicks. Would the same work on pigeons?
The result is Beter's "trade secret," but involves food coloring, a special diet and vitamins. We're talking pink, yellow, orange, green, purple, red, white and blue pigeons, and the colors are as bright as a fast-food wrapper.
Beter has kept a close eye on pigeon-fancier publications, and hasn't seen any other colored pigeons. "I might be the only guy in the world doing this," he said.
Once the color was stabilized, Beter put the birds to work for him, releasing up to 125 birds at events ranging from children's birthday parties to the Hula Bowl.
"It's much better than balloons, because it's natural and helps protect the environment," said Beter. Depending on the number of birds, rates range from $36 to $250, with a discount for kids' events. The more birds released, the cheaper it is per bird.
No matter where the birds are released in the state, they always arrow right back to Pearl City.
"As long as they don't get hurt, they always get back," said Beter. "In the last two years, I've only lost five birds."
Doug Beter's back yard swirls with color.
By Dennis Oda, Star-BulletinChildren get excited when the birds take to the air like billowing confetti, and Beter allows kids to pet his prize fantails, who have names like Precious, Pumpkin and Sunshine. Invariably, someone complains to the Humane Society that Beter must be brainwashing his birds to fly under these foreign colors.
"The Humane Society has been out a couple of times, and they say it's all OK," said Beter, who carries a letter to that effect to events in case someone asks.
He set Precious on a car bumper and the fantail immediately puffed itself up and spread its tail feathers, showing off.
"One lady said I must be tying these pigeons to little torture racks to get them to do that," sighed Beter. "Nope, that's just what fantails do."
Training involves food and discipline, in careful balance.
"If they're full, they don't want to fly, so they don't fly home until they're hungry," said Beter. The pigeons are let out twice a day for some wind-sprints over the neighborhood. "They love company!" said Beter.
Beter carefully rehearsed a story for elementary kids about how the pigeons were originally white, but became splashed with color one day when they flew through a rainbow.
"Of course, the first time I tried that story, a kid looked at me and said, 'No way, mister. A rainbow is just refracted light. Get real!'"
Rainbow Pigeons information is available at 455-5990.
Contact Information:
Owner: Doug Beter
Phone: 808-455-5990
Address:
1503 Nanakai Street
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782A Medley of Colorful Shades
Pink • Yellow • Orange • White • Purple • Green and More!
The Perfect Touch for Weddings, Sports Events, Graduations, Birthdays and More!
Release Homing Pigeons Instead of Balloons
No of Birds All Events ($): Discount Prices: Keiki Parties, Funerals ($): SAVINGS ($): 10-20 100.00 90.00 10.00 21-40 150.00 120.00 30.00 41-60 200.00 150.00 50.00 61-80 250.00 180.00 70.00 81-100 300.00 210.00 90.00 125 350.00 250.00 100.00 150 400.00 300.00 100.00 175 (summer '99) 450.00 325.00 125.00 200 (summer '99) 500.00 350.00 150.00 *(Fantail Birds - $18.00 per bird)*
"Special Requests are Welcome"
Pigeons Take Center Stage at Mrs. America Pageant
By Deone Roberts, AU Sport Development
Are there perks to sport promotion? Surrounded by 51 beautiful contestants from the Mrs. America Pageant in Hawaii, AU member Doug Beter might think so.
Producers of the pageant telephoned the AU national office for a contact in Hawaii who would be willing to conduct a bird release to commemorate September 11. One call is all it took. Doug saw the importance and opportunity for great public awareness.
With Doug's help, each of the Mrs. America contestants released a white homing pigeon for photographers during the filming in Oahu for broadcast on PAX television in October.
People were in awe of the spectacular sight. Doug amazed the crowd further with the release of 25 red, white and blue birds followed by the release of 25 rainbow colored birds.
NBC and CBS affiliates broadcast the releases on evening news.
Doug brought along a few fancy pigeons to entertain: two fantails, a yellow one named "Sunshine" and a pink one named "Precious." "Precious" was a gift from Doug to a previous Miss Universe. A Giant Runt, "Wooly Booly," and two Frillbacks, "Curly Shirley" and "Curly Temple" were joined by two tall, skinny Pigmy Pouters, "Mr. Lucky" and "Slim Jim," to add to the novelty.
Doug is no stranger to promotion. He visits schools regularly and provides literature and presentations for civic groups. A long time member of the AU, he has had pigeons for over 45 years. For ceremonial releases, his birds are safely colored with food coloring and create a dramatic appearance.
At the Mrs. America promotion, as contestants gathered around Doug for a photograph by the lagoon, the ladies asked Doug if they were holding him too tight. In response, he sang a chorus from "I'm In Heaven." You might say there are some perks to promotion.
Island Images
Tuesday, April 28, 1998
Pretty in pink
Photography by George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Outgoing Miss Universe Brook Lee fawns over a pink pigeon
owned by Doug Beter of Pearl City, her home town. Beter dyes
the pigeons in harmless rainbow colors and releases them for
special occasions.
