A cockatoo has survived after it was shot five times by at least two different rifles in Sydney’s west.

Dubbed Mr Cocky by its rescuers, the sulphur-crested cockatoo was found in a Sydney backyard last month.

Unable to fly and with a “reduced range of motion” in its left wing, the bird was taken to the Avian, Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital in Camden in the city’s west.

After an x-ray, veterinarian Lorenzo Crosta discovered three pellets – which came from the same gun – lodged in the bird’s body, while another two – from a separate airgun – had lodged in its shoulder and head.

The motive for the attack is unknown. Crosta said he wasn’t sure who delivered Mr Cocky to the practice – “we receive so many birds” – and it is unclear whether the bird was known to its attackers.

“They [sulphur-crested cockatoos] are pretty loud,” he said. “Maybe it was annoying someone, or maybe two kids being stupid. Maybe he was just really unlucky and got shot by one person and flew away and got shot by someone else.

“I really don’t have any idea why. I can understand someone who shoots a rabbit or a deer to eat it, and these are invasive species. But shooting a cockatoo? Why? It’s a native bird. It is very common, I agree, but what’s the point? It’s not even fun. If you want to prove you are a very good shooter, shoot a pigeon that is quick at least.”

Motive aside, Crosta said Mr Cocky had taken the shooting stoically.

“How can I tell you this?” he said.

“When we receive a wild bird we first do a triage and if there is a chance we can fix them, we fix them. Otherwise, if the bird cannot go back to the wild, it unfortunately goes immediately to meet its ancestors. In this case we thought, okay, he is moving the wing he seems to be okay, so why not?”

The shot to the head “did not seem to affect” the bird and the three to its body had not been causing it considerable discomfort. Crosta will wait until the bird fully recovers before making a decision about whether to remove the final pellet in its shoulder.

Harming wildlife is prohibited by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act.

An individual could face a fine of up to $88,000 for harming an animal such as the sulphur-crested cockatoo.