Meet Ernie the Ibis who eats crisps, sips wine and watches television - with video

The exotic bird – a Sacred Ibis to give him his full species title – was hand-reared by Shropshire's Vicky Courtney after he was abandoned by his parents in bad weather last summer.

Now he spends his days not in the aviary with other birds at Broome House, Knockin Heath, but in the house with two humans, a dog, and two cats.

During the day Ernie is free to roam and fly where he pleases.

But every evening he returns home and goes into the family home, where he sleeps in a dog cage in the kitchen.

He caused a stir recently when, on his travels, when he landed in the grounds of Whittington Castle where villagers were amazed to find they could get close to him.

Vicky is now asking people who might see Ernie not to be worried about him or try to catch him.

She said: “He always makes his way home. He is not at all valuable but he has become one of the family. He was missing for a few days earlier this year and we think someone may have trapped him somewhere.”

The parent ibis’ live in the family’s aviary and had been rearing four chicks when an unusual cold spell last August saw them abandon their nest.

Vicky said: “We discovered three dead chicks and one that was unconscious. I took it in and warmed it up, slowly, with a hair dryer and it revived.”

From then on Vicky had to hand rear the chick using cat food. Christened Ernie he the bird grew quickly and resisted all attempts to return him to the aviary.

She said: “Ernie loves living in the house. He will sit on my lap watching television and is happy to sit on the sofa with our dog and two cats. He is free to go in and out as he pleases and, in this hot weather, he has been happier inside. He is not a pet because he is free to fly away. But every night he returns and wanders into the house.”

Ernie loves getting up onto Vicky’s shoulders and being carried around.

He also likes to share Vicky’s her crisps and is even partial to a sip of wine.