Congregation unruffled by popularity of their 'chicken church'

Resemblance to a cartoon chicken makes church a tourist attraction.

United States:  A church has become an internet sensation after hundreds of people have flocked to see the face of a chicken within its walls.

With its large round windows resembling two eyes and roof tiles appearing as a beak, the so-called 'chicken church' is attracting an expanding fan club online.

The congregation at the Church by the Sea in Tampa Bay, Florida, say they regularly see passers-by stopping to get a memento of the unusual-looking building.

Its birdlike appearance is completed by the roof that spreads out like red wings.

Threads have appeared online dedicated to the building with hundreds of users wanting to find out more about the 'Chicken Church'.

Dee Dee Parker, a long term member of the Church by the Sea said the congregation is delighted that the building makes people happy but did not realise that they had become so popular online.

She said: 'It's so funny - we were completely unaware that it had become a hit on the internet.

'We had no idea but I'm glad we can make people smile. We see lots of people coming to take pictures of the church.'

The church on Madeira Beach was founded in in 1944 by a group of fishermen.

It's light up cross has been used as a nautical landmark for the fisherman to guide them back to land.

While it was not intended to look like a chicken, the church's committee find the similarities highly comical.

The church's bird-like features are used as a compass to direct sea workers - its wings represent East and West, while its beak and tail symbolise North and South.

Source: Mail Online