Residents of a Norfolk village have watched with amusement as their noisiest neighbour has become part of an unusual family.

Eastern Daily Press: The parrot spends a lot of time with his duck family. Picture: Steve WorthThe parrot spends a lot of time with his duck family. Picture: Steve Worth (Image: Steve Worth)

A feral parakeet, a bird in the parrot family, has been living in a crop of conifers in Shipdham for about three years.

However recently, the unnamed parrot has been adopted by a large family of ducks.

Home owners in Pound Green Lane have watched curiously as the parakeet has joined the family of ducks on the ground, following them into a property which has a stream running through the garden.

Steve Worth has lived in Shipdham for 10 years. He said: 'The parakeet has lived in some tall conifers at the back of one of the properties for about three years.

'We've made multiple attempts to find the owner, but no one's ever come forward. It seems happy, we've never seen it at any bird tables but I frequently see him eating apples and pears which have fallen off our fruit trees.

'I was surprised he would survive the British winters but he does.'

The 76-year-old continued: 'He keeps us all amused. We see him climbing the telephone wires and then he hangs on with his beak and swings around in circles.'

Mr Worth added: 'He's noisy, you always know he's there. He doesn't speak, you just often hear a loud squawking noise.'

In its perch from the conifers, the parakeet has clearly seen a practise it wants to become involved in.

Mr Worth said: 'Over the last few months we've seen a duck family coming up and down the drive way of a private residence. There was a mother duck and all her babies following behind, it was quite sweet. There's a stream in the property's garden and we believe there's a pond too.

'But now the ducklings have grown up and they're a full adult family, but the parakeet has decided to join in and waddles along next to them. Sometimes he flies a few feet and watches them, and then joins in again.'

He added: 'I don't know what the parrot does when the ducks get to the water, because I don't know if they're capable of swimming. Maybe he just watches.'