A Chessington woman had a surprising houseguest when she opened her door to find an abandoned canary.

The woman’s doorbell rang, but there was nobody there when she answered apart from the small bird in its cage on her front step.

She called the RSPCA and they arranged to collect the bird, who is now called Tuppence, from her home in Clayton Road the next day (September 26).

Animal welfare officer Carl Hone, who collected Tuppence, said: “We’re really grateful to this lady for finding the bird and keeping her safe until we could collect her.

“The poor little bird was just left on a stranger’s doorstep in her cage. Whoever abandoned her clearly wanted to ensure that someone would find her and help as they left her on the front step of somebody’s home and also alerted the homeowner to her presence by ringing the bell before running away.

“I’d like to remind pet owners that they are responsible for ensure their animals’ needs are met and it simply isn’t acceptable to abandon them like this. However, we do understand that sometimes the pressures of life can get on top of people and we would urge anyone who is struggling to cope with caring for their pets to contact their vet or an animal charity for help.”

Tuppence is now at the RSPCA’s Millbrook Animal Centre in Chobham, and will be rehomed if nobody claims her.

The charity recommends the use of microchips, closed rings and parrot passports to allow easy identification of birds if they go missing.

Anyone interested in rehoming a rescued bird from their centre can find out more here.