Red-tailed black cockatoo. Will it fly? Image by Matthias SiegelA bizarre feud between a bird breeder and one of his customers is to continue after an allegedly impotent cockatoo had to perform a "test flight" in front of judges yesterday (Mon).

A Danish bird collector claimed the rare red-tailed Black Cockatoo he bought from a Villach-based breeder suffered from gout and could not fly properly. He also said the animal could be impotent.

The man said he bought the bird for 12,000 Euros – while its breeder claimed the bird was fit and healthy when he sold it to a German who, according to the 76-year-old man, later flogged it to the claimant.

Head judge Johann Baumgartner decided the priceless bird must do a "test flight" at the Klagenfurt fairgrounds. Local media report that the cockatoo crashed against a wall in his first attempt. Veterinarian Alexander Rabitsch’s expert opinion is expected in a few months' time.