Meet The Oregon Man Whose 4-Year-Old Macaw ‘Bird’ Had To Be In His Mugshot

More often than not, the mugshots making their way around the Internet turn individuals responsible for committing terrible acts into viral celebrities. Of course the attention they receive isn’t always positive, but it’s still strong enough to distract readers from the reality of their crimes. Then again, none of those people posed for their picture with an intelligent and well-trained 4-year-old macaw named “Bird,” which is precisely what an Oregon man did on Monday.

According to Oregon Live, Craig Buckner told Bird to stay in a tree outside the Washington County Courthouse while he went in to address some legal matters. As The Smoking Gun Notes, Buckner had been summoned to a court hearing concerning the potential violation of his release after serving time for “multiple misdemeanor theft cases.” Unfortunately, the judge determined a violated had occurred and remanded Buckner to police custody.

“But wait a minute!” you’re probably thinking. “What about Bird?”

What about Bird, indeed. As Washington County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Bob Ray told Oregon Live, Buckner “was very concerned about” and “attached to this bird.” So a court deputy went outside and tried to retrieve the animal, but was unable to convince it to leave the tree it’d been ordered to stay in. Buckner was then temporarily allowed outside to retrieve Bird, who perched with the 38-year-old defendant during his official mugshot.

Thankfully, the authorities were able to find Bird a temporary home with one of Buckner’s friends while he serves out his sentence.

(Via Oregon Live)