Winged defender recovers

"He's fine, he's a good boy," said Michael Monaghan, Mango's owner.

Turning to it, he said, "You're a good watch bird!"

Powless, 48, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a felony count of cruelty to another's animal, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism after he kicked another man with no legs in the groin and tried to hit him with a barbecue lid and a flower pot, prosecutors said.

Monaghan, 54, is a caregiver for a man named Ted at their house on the 200 block of Vermont Avenue in Moss Beach. Powless has also lived there for about a month, and Joey, a navy veteran who lost his legs, lives outside the house in one of two trailers near Mango's cage.

On Sunday night, Powless had stopped taking medication and he and Joey were fighting, possibly over a shirt, Monaghan said. Powless had been drinking and hurt his teeth during the fight, Monaghan said.

The next morning at about 10:30 a.m. Powless was still upset and argued with Joey inside the house.

Powless was in a "delicate state" after coming off medication, Monaghan said.

Powless threw a beer bottle at Joey's red Ford Taurus in the back yard, smashing part of the windshield's passenger side, Monaghan said.

Joey used a walker to get to the backyard, and Powless picked up a barbecue lid and "bonked" Joey in his side, Monaghan said. Prosecutors said he also threw a flower pot at him.

Powless was getting in his car to go to the dentist, but returned to argue when Monaghan intervened to try to defuse the fight.

As Monaghan entered the scuffle, the parrot thought its owner was being attacked and flew down to save him. Powless grabbed the bird and squeezed it, Monaghan said, plucking eight or nine orange feathers from its tail.

Mango naturally repeats names, swear words and laughs, Monaghan said, but was silent as it flapped its wings during the fight.

Powless did not try to stomp on it, as an earlier police report indicated, Monaghan said.

Police arrested Powless, and prosecutors have the feathers in a bag, Monaghan said, along with the drum barbecue.

Mango, who is 3 years old, did not bleed when its feathers were plucked, Monaghan said. He was, however, shaken up.

"He still probably doesn't know what happened to him," Monaghan said.

Parrot feathers grow back, and its species is expected to live to 45.

Powless has been in County Jail in Redwood City on $100,000 bail. None of his housemates have pressed charges against him, but the District Attorney's Office may choose how to prosecute him.

Monaghan talked to Powless' psychiatric counselor Monday, and wished him well.

"We all hope Grady gets better," he said.

Stephen Baxter can be reached by e-mail at stephen@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.