Labour MP Stella Creasy faced online ridicule after mistaking one of London's ubiquitous ring-necked parakeets for a lost pet parrot. Creasy, the Member of Parliament for Walthamstow, posted a video to Instagram on July 21, 2026, with the caption: 'Have you lost a parrot in Walthamstow? Please share!' She commented that the bird she filmed in Lloyd Park, north London, was "too big to be a parakeet."
London is home to an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 ring-necked parakeets, with self-sustaining colonies established in the city since the 1970s. These feral birds are common in parks across the capital, including Regent's Park and Hampstead Heath.
Creasy's followers quickly pointed out her error, with many sharing humorous responses. One user posted an image of a deer, describing it as a "lost cat with a branch stuck on its head," while another shared a picture of a hippo as a "missing overweight pug." Other users directly informed the MP, with one commenting, "That's a parakeet babe! They live here!!"
Creasy, who has represented Walthamstow since 2010, later posted additional images of the bird, which featured green feathers and a red beak, while the Nelly Furtado song "I'm Like A Bird" played in the background. She expressed concern for the bird's owners, stating, "If you have lost an actual parrot - because it's too big to be a parakeet - then it's in Lloyd Park right now!"
This incident follows a previous instance where Creasy drew attention for claiming that the fictional bear Paddington would be denied UK citizenship under tightened Home Office immigration rules. She used the character to criticize government policies, arguing that the process would deny sanctuary to those, like Paddington, who arrive "via an irregular route."