Originally published 2019-10-22.
In August 2018 a macaw called Jessie gave London firefighters one of the strangest rescues of their careers. She had been stuck on a neighbour's roof in Edmonton, north London, for three days. When a firefighter climbed up a ladder to coax her down, Jessie answered his kind words with a stream of swearing, then flew off on her own and eventually made her way home unhurt.
The London Fire Brigade shared the story with obvious delight, and it quickly spread around the world. Here is what actually happened, what the brigade said, and what scientists know about why parrots like Jessie say the things they say.
Three days on a roof in Edmonton
Jessie escaped from her home and settled on a rooftop nearby. For three days her owner and the RSPCA tried to tempt her back, without success. Because there was concern she might be injured, which could have explained why she was not flying down, the RSPCA asked the fire brigade for help.
The call came in at 11:06 on Monday 13 August 2018. One fire engine from Edmonton fire station went to Cuckoo Hall Lane. The photo above shows the scene: a firefighter in his yellow helmet leaning over the roof ridge, with a bright blue macaw sitting just out of reach.
"I love you", then a torrent of swearing
Parrot owners often bond with their birds through repeated, affectionate phrases, and Jessie knew one well. The crew manager who volunteered to go up the ladder told her "I love you". According to the brigade, Jessie said it back, which seemed promising. Then she began to swear at him, again and again, much to the amusement of the crew below. The most quoted line was a blunt "f**k off".
The firefighters did not give up. Jessie had picked up Turkish and Greek as well as English, so the crew tried calling "come" to her in both. It made no difference. Jessie stayed where she was.
Watch Manager Chris Swallow, who attended, said that the worry about a possible injury was the reason they had been called. In the end, that worry turned out to be unfounded.
How the standoff ended
Once the crew could see that Jessie was not hurt, there was little more they could do. She took off from the roof, landed on another one, and then moved into a tree. The brigade's part in the incident ended at 12:08, a little over an hour after the call.
Later that day Jessie found her own way back to her owner. The following day the brigade posted a short video on Twitter, sent by the owner, in which a safe and slightly calmer Jessie appeared to have a few words for her would-be rescuers.
Jessie the parrot in now home safe & sound with her owner and she had this to say to the firefighters who came to help her in #Edmonton https://t.co/Th2nlVCq7I pic.twitter.com/3ABkzH2nHY
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) August 14, 2018
The brigade also used the moment to share some practical advice. If you see an animal stuck or in distress, contact the RSPCA first. The charity has trained staff and will call the fire brigade if specialist equipment such as ladders or aerial platforms is needed. That keeps fire engines free for emergencies involving people.
Do parrots understand what they say?
Jessie's outburst raises an obvious question: did she know she was being rude? The honest answer is that we cannot tell from one encounter. Parrots are superb vocal learners. They pick up phrases they hear often, especially ones said with strong emotion, and swear words tend to be delivered with plenty of it. A bird that is frightened, frustrated or overexcited may simply reach for the loudest sounds in its repertoire.
That said, parrots are far from mindless recorders. The best-known research comes from animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg and her African grey, Alex, studied for about 30 years until his death in 2007. Alex could name around 50 objects, identify colours, shapes and materials, count small groups up to six, and grasp ideas such as "bigger", "smaller", "same" and "different". He also asked for things he wanted, such as going back to his cage.
Critics argue that much of this could be explained by conditioning, with the bird learning which sound brings which reward. Most researchers today land somewhere in between: parrots link many words to situations and outcomes, even if that is not the same as understanding language the way people do. An older claim that circulated alongside this story, that parrots "understand most of the words they say", goes further than the evidence supports.
What Jessie's story tells parrot owners
Large macaws can live for decades and are loud, intelligent and social. Behaviour experts generally advise owners to avoid swearing near a talking bird, because a learned phrase is very hard to unlearn. Jessie's vocabulary made for a funny news story, but it can be awkward in a vet's waiting room or at a family gathering.
Escapes are also more common than many owners expect. An open window or door is often enough. Useful habits include:
- checking windows and doors before letting a bird out of its cage;
- practising recall training, so the bird learns to fly to you on cue;
- keeping a few recent photos and noting any distinctive phrases, which help neighbours identify a lost bird;
- calling the RSPCA, or the local animal welfare service outside the UK, if a pet is stuck somewhere dangerous.
Jessie's rescue ended the best possible way: no injuries, no damage, and a bird back home with the people she knows. The firefighters got a story to tell for years, and the rest of us got a reminder that animals rarely follow the script.
Sources: London Fire Brigade: Potty-mouthed parrot stuck on roof in Edmonton; London Fire Brigade on X, 14 August 2018; Wikipedia: Alex (parrot).
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