A group of five African grey parrots had to be removed from public display at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in eastern England after they began swearing at visitors — and then laughing with each other.
A Flock with Foul Mouths
The parrots — Eric, Jade, Elsie, Tyson, and Billy — were donated to the wildlife park by different owners within the same week. After being quarantined together, they were placed on display.
But staff quickly realized the birds shared an unusual habit: swearing loudly at both visitors and employees.
“It just went ballistic, they were all swearing,” said park chief executive Steve Nichols. “We were a little concerned about the children.”
Nichols even admitted he wasn’t spared from the abuse:
“I get called a fat t**t every time I walk past.”
Visitors Laughed, Children Not So Much
The parrots’ favorite phrase seemed to be “fk off,”** though they were capable of shouting a wide range of expletives. Amusingly, they often swore at each other — and then laughed together as if they were in on the joke.
While many adult visitors found the parrots’ behavior hilarious — even giving as good as they got — staff grew worried about the park’s younger guests. To prevent complaints, the parrots were temporarily separated and removed from public view.
A Common Problem with Parrots
According to Nichols, this isn’t the first time the park has dealt with a swearing parrot.
“To take in a swearing parrot isn’t unusual. It’s something that happens probably three or four times a year.”
But the issue has grown since the pandemic, as more bird owners gave up their pets to wildlife parks. “We would normally take in one or two parrots in a fortnight. Today we took in eight,” Nichols explained.
African Greys: Intelligent but Mischievous
African grey parrots are known for their remarkable intelligence and ability to mimic human speech. They are among the most popular parrot species kept as pets, with more than 1.1 million pet birds in the UK as of 2019, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association.
The staff at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park hope that, now separated, Eric, Jade, Elsie, Tyson, and Billy will gradually forget their foul language and become more family-friendly. Until then, the cheeky birds remain a behind-the-scenes attraction, still laughing at their own jokes.
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