Birds were 'sexually frustrated' court told

A COUPLE stand accused of neglect after failing to seek veterinary
help for their "sexually frustrated" parrot and cockatoo.

Sharon Webb and Albert Smith, both 38, went on trial at Cambridge
Magistrates' Court on Monday accused of three animal cruelty charges.

The pair deny causing unnecessary suffering to the birds and a further
charge of keeping the cockatoo in a cage of insufficient size.

Sally, a lesser sulphur crested cockatoo, and Sydney, an African grey
parrot, were seized after an RSPCA inspector visited the couple's home
last May.

The birds had plucked their own feathers out due to a psychological
disorder, the court heard.

Sally had suffered "long-standing" feather loss to her head and top of
her neck, while Sydney had feather loss to his neck, breast, abdomen
and legs.

Michael Taylor, prosecuting, said the bird which has a wingspan of
71.5cm was being kept in a cage measuring 70cm in height and 47cm in
width and in depth.

He said: "Neither had been seen by a vet and neither had received any
veterinary care or treatment. Feather plucking may be complex, but it
is not sufficient to ignore it or treat it yourself or treat it with
remedies that are plainly ineffective."

In interview Smith, who lives with Webb in New Road, Mepal, said he
had nothing to do with the birds. Webb admitted being in charge of the
birds. She claimed Sydney's feather loss was due to dry skin and
Sally's was due to irritation from a scar.

She said: "If it was really serious, I'd take my birds to the vets."

Neil Forbes, a leading avian expert, said the most likely reason the
birds plucked their own feathers was because they were sexually
frustrated.

A hand-reared bird grows up thinking it is human and when it reaches
sexual maturity it becomes attracted to humans, he said.

"When this bird reaches breeding age, they are in biological terms
'breeding machines' and will naturally want to breed with a human," he
said.

There was "no doubt" Sally had suffered over the years, he said.

"This is, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, obsessive compulsive
disorder, and this is because the sexual frustration has gone on for
so long," he said of the bird.

Sydney's feather loss appeared to be more recent. He said that in all
other respects the birds appeared to be in good health. Both were
making a good recovery thanks to specialist treatment.

The trial continues.