Meet Merlin, the Sussex parrot who might just be the brainiest bird in Britain.

The African grey is going for gold for an unprecedented third year running in a contest to find the country's least feather-brained squawker.

With his unrivalled skills in basketball and hoopla, Merlin has scooped the top award in the performing bird category at the National Cage and Aviary Birds Exhibition for two years running.

Owner Pip Rowe hopes the talented four-year-old can do it again at Birmingham's NEC next week.

Merlin will have to demonstrate his basketball technique, drop rings over spikes and place money in a box.

He will be rewarded with his favourite vice - tiny bits of grated cheese.

Pip said: "People take the competition quite seriously apart from this category, which everyone always enjoys and is a bit more fun.

"We teach him a little bit every day and it's as much for his enjoyment as it is ours."

Joining Merlin at the exhibition will be the Blooms Parrot Troupe who ride miniature motorcycles.

Donald Taylor, editor of Cage & Aviary Birds magazine said: "Birds can actually be quite clever with some of them having the equivalent intelligence of a child of five or six."