Joseph Sekar (73), popularly known as the ‘Bird Man’ of Chennai for feeding thousands of parrots every day, passed away late last night after battling cancer. His demise has evoked widespread grief among city residents and members of the Tamil film fraternity who admired his compassion for birds.
Joseph Sekar was a camera repair technician by profession and ran a small camera repair business in the Royapettah area of Chennai. His journey as a bird feeder began modestly when he started feeding a few parrots while living on the floor of his workplace.
Over the next two decades, his service grew remarkably. Tens of thousands of parrots began flocking daily to his residence for food, turning the place into a well-known sight in the locality. Initially known as “Camera House Sekar,” he later earned the affectionate title of “Bird Man,” especially within the film industry, where his dedication became widely recognised.
However, his efforts faced a major setback in recent years. Living in a rented house, Joseph Sekar was asked by the owner to vacate the premises, forcing him to discontinue feeding the parrots. Determined to continue his service, he even considered selling his camera equipment in bulk to purchase a building, but the attempt did not succeed.
He had openly expressed deep regret over being unable to feed the parrots for the past two years following the eviction.
During this period, he also spoke about the emotional and financial hardships he endured.
With the passing of Joseph Sekar, Chennai has lost a man whose life stood as a symbol of kindness, dedication and coexistence with nature. Many across the city are mourning the loss of a rare soul who devoted his life to the welfare of birds.
