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Did someone spray-paint a cockatoo? Green native bird sticks out like a sore thumb as it joins a flock on a western Sydney train line
- A green bird spotted out with a flock of white cockatoos has shocked onlookers
- Native bird was spotted at Campbelltown train station in Sydney’s south-west
- NSW MP slammed alleged bird-painting, saying it could lead to six months in jail
A green bird spotted out with a flock of white cockatoos has outraged onlookers who are concerned it was spray-painted.
Bruno Bouchet saw the bird in a flock of about 30 cockatoos at Campbelltown Train Station in Sydney’s south-west on Thursday morning.
Colourful cockatoos have been spotted around Sydney in previous years, but painting or dyeing a bird in NSW could put you behind bars for six months.
A green cockatoo, believed to be spray-painted, was spotted at Campbelltown Train Station in Sydney
The green bird was with a flock of about 30 cockatoos
‘At first I thought I was seeing things, so I stopped and looked at the green cockatoo for around two minutes before it flew away,’ Mr Bouchet said.
‘A mate of mine saw the green cockatoo eating out of a bin near the Campbelltown cinemas about 15 minutes later.
‘Which was reassuring because I was worried I’d be thought of as a lunatic if no one else validated the fact that there was a green cockatoo flying around Campbelltown.’
Mr Bouchet said it looked like the bird had been spray-painted.
‘I think it’s definitely the same species, unfortunately it seems someone’s sprayed this particular bird which is a cruel and disgusting thing to do,’ he said.
A pink cockatoo (left) was spotted in the south-Sydney suburb of Menai in 2017
Two cockatoos painted bright pink and blue were seen in Bundeena in Sydney’s south in 2020
Colourful cockatoos have turned up in Sydney before, with bright blue and pink birds being spotted at a home in Bundeena near Sydney National Park in 2020.
In 2017, a pink cockatoo was seen in nearby suburb Menai and blue, green, yellow and pink coloured cockatoos were found across the Eastern suburbs in 2016.
Spray-painting a bird is an animal cruelty offence in New South Wales with a maximum sentence of six months or a $5,500 fine.
MP Emma Hurst from the Animal Justice Party called the alleged spray-painting ‘absolutely disgusting.’
‘Many spray paints and dyes are toxic, and can be very harmful to animals,’ she said.
‘Colouring an animal can also make them more susceptible to prey animals and could risk the animals life.
‘Anyone who catches and alters the appearance of a wild animal as a joke is sick and needs to learn how to respect nature.’
Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst (pictured) wants animal rights to be taken more seriously in NSW
Anyone accused of serious animal cruelty or bestiality will now be automatically banned from having animals for life, two years after Ms Hurst (pictured) first introduced changes to the NSW Crime Act
The NSW Parliament just passed new laws banning anyone charged with serious animal cruelty or bestiality from being around animals.
Ms Hurst fought for the provisions for the past two years.
‘Shockingly, no one has ever been banned from animal guardianship or working with animals after a successful conviction of serious animal cruelty or bestiality in NSW,’ she said.
‘We have witnessed some chilling cases over the past two years where animal abusers have been allowed to continue to breed animals, work alongside animals and even buy animals after their convictions.
‘We are a nation of animal lovers. Animal cruelty is hard to think and talk about, but it is happening. These abusers need to be held to account.’
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