Ernie's 'Sesame Street' pal is Bert, a four-letter word. Bert is a Muppet character on the long-running children's television show 'Sesame Street'. He is best known for his friendship with Ernie, with whom he has a long-running comic and practical joke-playing rivalry. Bert is an intelligent and grumpy yet friendly character who often plays the straight man to Ernie's antics. He is also known for his love of pigeons, paper clips, and various other items.