This is the moment a foul-mouthed raven started showing off its vocabulary - reciting the word 'a**e' at a passing family in a petting zoo.

David and Sarah Barker, from Redhill in Surrey, were left in a flap when they heard the brazen bird while on a day out to celebrate their son's first birthday.

While passing the caged bird, 27-year-old full-time mum Sarah heard it chanting a noise that sounded just like the word 'a**e' and goaded the raven by saying it back.

Cheeky! While passing the caged bird, 27-year-old full-time mum Sarah heard it chanting a noise that sounded just like the word 'a**e' and goaded the raven by saying it back

Sarah recorded the bird on her phone so the couple could show their friends, though both were glad baby Ethan was too young to understand the colourful language.

David, a 28-year-old airline engineer, said: 'We were celebrating Ethan's first birthday at Tilgate Park in West Sussex and visited the little nature reserve while we were there.

'As we walked around, Sarah could hear the bird saying something and called me over. It was talking away by itself and when we got near we realised it sounded just like the word 'a**e'.

'Maybe it was when it saw her that it started saying it, as we were the only ones there at the time. Sarah started repeating it back to the raven and it felt a bit like it was talking back to us.

'We thought it was hilarious. It was staring right at us and saying it. We were completely in stitches although some parents might not have been so happy about it in front of their children!

'We didn't mention it to the staff there so I'm not sure whether it's something the raven does all the time.

'You always see talking animals on YouTube but you never think you'll come across one in real life. It just kept making the noise over and over.

'It's the first time we've ever taken Ethan somewhere like that and he was really enjoying himself. We were quite relieved that he is still too young to understand swear words at the moment.'