A loving pet cockatiel sat on a driver's shoulder to keep her calm in traffic.

The four-year-old parrot joined its owner, a ride-hailing service driver, on one of her trips when passenger Tharathorn Patomwanich saw them in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Footage shows the bird perched on the female while making soft screeches. When they were caught in a traffic jam, the driver would play with the bird.

The clingy feathered animal then pecked on her finger and climbed around her seat, entertaining the customer seated behind.

Tharathorn said: 'I booked a car from an app. The driver was a woman. When I got in the car, it was quiet but after driving a while, she asked me if I was afraid of birds.

'Then a cockatiel appeared out of nowhere. The bird did not approach me until its mother called it out.'

Tharathorn added the driver told him that the bird escaped three times in the past so she now takes it with her to work.

He said: 'She told me the cockatiel came back after escaping, but it made her worried. They were very close. I gave her a tip after the ride to buy the bird some snacks.'

Cockatiels are very smart birds with great problem-solving skills, memory, and the ability to learn tricks and sounds.