1:00pm Thursday 8th October 2009
A sick parrot dumped in woodland may never fly again.
The bird, which was found by a dog walker in Hangleton Copse, was so traumatised by its ordeal it had pulled most of its own feathers out.
The woman was walking her dog when she heard a squawking noise and found the Blue-fronted Amazon in leaf litter.
The exotic parrot, named Forrest by staff at the RSPCA in Braypool Lane, Patcham, Brighton, has not yet been sexed.
Staff member Jenny Wells said the bird was slowly starting to recover from its ordeal.
She added: “It had taken a lot of its own feathers out and that is probably down to the stress of being dumped.
“Somebody decided they did not want a parrot and abandoned it in the woods. It's lucky to still be alive because a fox or anything could have got it."
The bird, discovered on Friday, should be covered in green feathering with blue, orange and a bit of yellow round the front of its head.
Ruth Riseley, another staff member, said: “He cannot fly because his flight feathers have been destroyed. It depends how much damage it has done to the shaft of the feathers.
“Having a parrot is like having a three-year-old child. It needs attention all the time and can be quite demanding.”
