The bird whisperer of Bora Bazar

There is hardly a time when Bora Bazaar is not bustling with people. As evening arrives, the narrow bylanes are full of office-goers rushing home. Suddenly, just before the sun sets, the sound of fluttering wings fills the air, and if you look up, you will see flashes of bright green.

A parrot with a decidedly mischievous look is balancing itself precariously from a cable dangling close to Hardik Gala's balcony. It's eyes are fixed on the empty bird-feeders hanging like lanterns. Right on time, Gala arrives and fills the feeders with sunflower seeds. Suddenly, an assortment of squawks announce its dinner time as over fifty parrots descend on the balcony to snack on the seeds.

42-year-old Gala waits to witness this scene every day. He has been feeding these birds for the past 25 years. He even googled bird-feeders, and taught himself how to make them. "There are around 500 parrots in this area which live on trees in Horniman Circle, Oval Maidan and near CST. They always come at the same time, 6 in the morning and 4.30 in the evening," said the foreign trade consultant, who spends Rs 25,000 on bird feed each month. "Sometimes, if you are lucky, you will also see Alexandrine parakeets, which have red specks on their wings. Mynahs and sparrows are regular visitors.

Gala is also aware of how many birds die of heat stroke in the summers. "A month before summer, I order mud bowls from Dharavi. which I also supply for free. You can fill these with water and hang them up so they can quench their thirst," says the bird lover.