John Legend Says Bird His Family's Pet-Sitting Will Likely Become Permanent

John Legend says that the bird he and his family are now taking care of will very likely become a permanent member of the household ... but it's under sad circumstances.

We got the singer out in L.A. Thursday -- where we chopped it up about this new macaw he and his wife Chrissy Teigen have recently welcomed under their roof ... something they've documented on social media, introducing the feathered friend to everyone as Audrey.

The kids seem to love it, but there's a bit of heartbreaking backstory as to how Audrey even came into their possession ... and it involves John's father-in-law, Ron.

As JL explains to us here, the Legend family is just pet-sitting at the moment as Ron battles some serious health issues -- ones that John tells us candidly will likely lead to his passing in the not-too-distant future. Because of that, the fam's prepared to take Audrey in.

As John puts it ... Audrey will likely live longer than Ron big picture, so they're getting used to having her in their company -- just the latest pet that they've brought into the fold.

Speaking of animal companions ... John talked about dog walking and dog poop -- something he says he has no problem picking up, as he says he's been doing it for years after living in NYC. As the owner of several pooches himself ... he says he's a vet at this now.

John also tells us that if you can handle raising a pet, you can probably do anything.