This is the amusing moment a soldier was seen relaxing during his break by playing a game of 'keepy-uppy' with a hornbill perched on a roof.

Footage shows the military officer kicking a rattan ball toward the bird named Ma Ae, who skillfully headers it back in Narathiwat, southern Thailand.

The clever avian can be seen using its beak to precisely deflect the ball back down to the soldier while the man uses his feet and ankles to keep the takraw ball airborne on December 11.

The soldier recalled that Ma Ae had lived at the military base since before he arrived.

He said: 'Ma Ae initially fell from a tree and was rescued and treated by my colleagues. Out of concern for its safety, they decided to keep it at the camp where people can look after it.

'I used to play takraw alone during my free time, but one day I accidentally kicked the ball toward Ma Ae and it pushed it right back. We've played together regularly ever since.'

The great hornbill is a large, strikingly colored bird native to Southeast Asia. While they are generally shy in the wild, they are highly intelligent animals that exhibit playful behaviour.