BIRDMAN OF CHENNAI FEEDS 8,000 PARAKEETS EVERY DAY

Tens and hundreds of parakeets flock to the terrace of camera mechanic Joseph Sekar’s house every single day in the morning and evening for the feast. Known as the ‘Birdman of Chennai’, 63-year-old Sekar has been hosting up to 8,000 parakeets for more than 10 years. He started feeding birds years ago during the time of tsunami on a small scale and since then more and more winged visitors have been flocking to Sekar’s home. He spends half of his daily income to feed his feathered friends by keeping about 30kg of rice on specially set up wooden planks on the terrace of his house. A number of bird watchers, including several from foreign countries, have also been regularly visiting Sekar’s house to witness the stunning spectacle of the parakeets descending on the terrace taking the feed. —