Halifax 'bird man' befriends faithful pigeon flock

David Dewolfe whistles as steers his electric wheelchair out to his usual spot on the curb.

As if on cue, 20 pigeons fly over to him, landing at his feet, and on his arms and shoulders.

"They seem like they know when a person is down and out," Dewolfe said. 

'My friends'

The pigeons eat bird seed right out of his hand, five or six at a time. Dewolfe repeats this tradition three times every day near his assisted living home Northwood Manor in Halifax north-end. 

"They come out and they sit with you. They don't move or anything they just sit with you," he said. "You can feel their warm little body on you." 

'My friends'

Dewolfe started feeding the flock shortly after moving to manor last August. He's named many of the pigeons: Typewriter, Kerosene, Seymour, Pinto and Baby Boy. 

"They're my friends," Dewolfe said.

"They're peaceful, and they're almost trustworthy."

'What more can you ask for?'

Dewolfe said the birds know him now, and flock when he calls. 

"What more can you ask for? Just like a faithful dog." 

Dewolfe has been dubbed the "bird man" by his neighbours at the manor. He said many of the residents used to be afraid of the birds, but they're slowly changing minds.

People have started dropping off bags of bird seed for him. 

"I know one thing: I enjoy it, and I'm going to keep doing it because I enjoy it," Dewolfe said. 

"I love them."