Foul-mouthed parrots are teaching other birds to swear
When staff at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park noticed an outbreak of swearing among five of their African grey parrots in 2020, they segregated the birds to spare the blushes of the public.
The bad-mouthed parrots were eventually put back on display, but with plenty of warnings for visitors of a “sensitive” disposition.
Now three further birds appear to have discovered the joys of a squawked expletive. But this time their keepers are planning an altogether different response.
Instead of segregating the birds, named Eric, Captain and Sheila, the staff plan to release them into the wider flock in the hopes of “diluting” the foul language.
Steve Nichols, chief executive of the wildlife park who has spent 35 years caring for parrots, is more than aware of the risks.
He said: “We could end up with 100 swearing parrots on our hands. Only time will tell.”
He added the decision was also motivated by welfare concerns: “Parrots are flock creatures. They need to be with other parrots. The bigger the flock, the happier they are.
“Even though they swear, the welfare of the birds has to come first.”
The original five parrots, named Billy, Tyson, Eric, Jade and Elsie, spent three months in isolation as a result of their antics before they were put back on display.
They have since become the park’s star attraction, according to Mr Nichols, with a disclaimer notice installed at the enclosure to warn those of “a sensitive nature” about the birds’ colourful language.
Although keen not to offend families, Mr Nichols said the parrots offered humour “when the world seems very serious”.
He added: “You never tire of being told to eff off by a parrot. You can’t help but laugh. Of course, visitors stand around the enclosure swearing, trying to get the parrots to copy them.”
Asked what he thinks is likely to happen when the swearing parrots meet the remainder of the flock, Mr Nichols said: “Ultimately, I think the swearing will be diluted.
“People think parrots are loud birds but they talk quite quietly. I’m hoping, above the general noise of the flock, the swearing will be drowned out.”
Mr Nichols said he doubted the group of eight would completely stop swearing, noting that “once it’s in their vocabulary, it’s usually there for good”.
But he thought there was a good chance the birds would “imitate other sounds as well”, making the swearing less frequent.
Mr Nichols said: “We have about 30 birds who make the beeping sound that a reversing lorry makes. Hopefully, the rest will pick up on that and there will be less swearing.”
Although the odd swearing parrot is not unheard of in the world of avian wildlife keeping, having five at the same time was unusual, Lincolnshire Wildlife Park said at the time of the original outbreak.
Although nobody complained, staff moved the five swearers to allow young visitors to hear the other African greys’ natural calls.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Park is also home to the parrot Chico, who made headlines in September after learning to sing a range of pop songs, including Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy.
African greys are a common companion parrot because they are prized for their ability to mimic human speech.
In 2008, an escaped pet of the species in Japan was returned home after repeating the owner’s name and address.
They are relatively intelligent birds and thrive from a behavioural and socially enriching environment, as well as lots of attention.
Home to the National Parrot Sanctuary, the wildlife park houses more than 1,500 parrots.
