If you ever find yourself in an Australian forest, don’t be surprised if a parrot swears at you. Across Australia, people are reporting that wild parrots are talking to them and that they are not always polite. In fact, some wild birds have learned to speak English and in particular, to use expletives. It is thought that the language skills have been learned from pet birds that escaped from their cages and returned to the wild. The wild birds have picked up the new sounds and have even taught them to their offspring. The result is a weird chorus of English nonsense high in the treetops.

Listen below

Read by Tina Williamson (Australian accent)

Study the words

Swears – uses bad language

Polite- civil, well-mannered

Expletives- bad language, vulgar expressions

Pet- domestic (animal)

Skills– abilities

The wild- the natural habitat

Offspring- babies

Weird- strange

Nonsense- language with no meaning

Treetops- the highest branches of the trees