TAMPA - A 24-year-old Arkansas man faces grand theft charges after authorities said he stole a Moluccan cockatoo from a Gibsonton home in June. The bird was still missing Tuesday.
Calvin Benson was arrested in Little Rock on Aug. 10 and extradited to Hillsborough County.
Benson admitted giving the bird to a friend, the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office said. The friend might have dropped the bird off at an animal hospital.
Benson remained at the Orient Road Jail on Tuesday with bail set at $25,500.
The missing cockatoo is salmon in color and has no feathers on its chest. The prices for Moluccan cockatoos generally run from $1,800 to $2,300, according to petbirdpage.com.
Detectives asked anyone with information about the bird to call (813) 247-0427.
