Urban Eccentricities: The Bird Man of Lenox Rd.

Brooklyn, NY - CartLegger - Sunday, April 1st, 2007 : goo

[previous] :: [next]

"Some people, them like cats, and others, them like dogs. Me, I like the birds".

The "Bird Man" of Lenox Rd. (as his neighbor called him with a hoot and smirk) is the local eccentric in this corner of Brooklyn, at Lenox Rd. and 43rd St.

While most eccentrics keep their habits bundled up behind closed doors, the Bird Man (he would not share his name or let me take a picture of him)puts it out there for all to see, surrounding the outside of his property with his obsession--to make life better for neighborhood birds.

While most might find it sufficient to put out bird food, the Bird Man wanted to give his birds some company. As you can see, his cages are arrayed in perilous rows that fill every crevice of his property, many given to him by local bird man fans. Many of the cages are filled with birds, all sorts, all fake.

But there are real birds, too; great, fat lazy birds perched in the trees, whose slow songs were a testament to their overfeeding. "They sing to me every morning at 6AM to wake me up, but they spend all day and night in them trees".

While my wife found this place to be "gross and creepy , I see it another way. Having lived in this house for over 30 years, the Bird Man has achieved a decidedly NY version of the American dream: to have a piece of land that you can do whatever you want to with, no matter what the neighbors think.

This article has been viewed 2257 times in the last 34 months

Holly: WOW He really knows how to party!

Comment on this article

[previous] :: [next]