A Rhode Island, United States woman has been accused by her neighbours of violating an animal-noise ordinance by training her cockatoo to curse.
The Providence Journal reports that Lynne Taylor is accused in Warwick municipal court of training the bird, Willy, to say expletives.
The bird allegedly aimed the invectives at the neighbours, who happen to be Taylor's ex-husband and his girlfriend.
A municipal judge on Thursday denied Taylor's request to dismiss the case.
The neighbours, Kathleen Melker and Craig Fontaine, say they have been subjected to repeated curses from the bird, at one point for 15 minutes at a time.
The animal noise ordinance imposes a small fine on any pet owner whose animal creates habitual noise.
A judge has issued restraining orders telling both women to have no contact.
AP