Parrot stranded for 3 days on London roof 'flips the bird' on rescuers

Jessie, a turquoise and yellow Macaw parrot, began to swear in English, Turkish and Greek during rescue attempts by firefighters. PHOTO: PAUL WOOD/TWITTER

A parrot stuck on the roof of a London home for three days "flipped the bird" on firefighters who came to its aid, much to their amusement.

British media reports said on Monday (Aug 13) that Jessie, a turquoise and yellow Macaw parrot, had escaped from her home in Edmonton, north London, and found herself stranded on a neighbour's roof.

When officers from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) were called in after Jessie's owners failed to coax the bird to come down, she reportedly began shouting expletives at them.

LFB watch manager Chris Swallow told British newspaper Metro that there were concerns that Jessie had refused to come down from the roof because she was injured.

Armed with a bowl of food and a fluffy white towel, a volunteer member of the fire brigade climbed up a ladder in an attempt to rescue her.

To encourage the bird to cooperate, he was advised to say "I love you" to her.

Jessie responded positively at first, but soon she launched into a four-letter tirade.

She also swore in Turkish and Greek, languages her owners speak.

"We then discovered that she had a bit of a foul mouth and kept swearing, much to our amusement," Mr Swallow said.

Jessie - who was clearly not hurt - later flew off to another roof and a tree, shortly before returning to her owners.

The LFB has advised pet owners against dialling for emergency services when their pet becomes trapped.

Its officers have previously been called in to rescue an iguana from a roof, a kitten wedged in a bongo drum and a chimp trapped in a chimney, media reports said.

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