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Newbury Street 'Bird Man' Cares For Sparrows During Blizzard

BOSTON (CBS) - Down on Newbury Street, one man has made some unlikely friends who needed his help during the blizzard.

Affectionately known as the "Bird Man of Newbury Street," Paul Magla has been watching over a flock of sparrows for the past decade.

"I whistle and they come. I've been doing it for years, " Magla told WBZ-TV. "They start flocking and they're hungry."

He started feeding the birds when he worked as a realtor, and when things got quiet at the office, he started whistling to them.

Since then, he's been whistling to them and feeding them bread every day.

When he woke up Saturday morning, he looked out his window to find a pleasant surprise.

"They were on the balcony, waiting to get fed," Magla said.

With the rest of their food blanketed in snow, they're sticking close to the man they know and trust.

"Usually they don't sit on [my] hand as much, but because it's cold, they are. They want the food," Magla said. "They are very active - they never stay like this."

Magla feeds them whole wheat bread, because he wants to give them what he calls "the good stuff."

Despite the weather, plenty of people stop to watch and take pictures of Magla and his birds.

"A lot of times, kids will walk by and I'll try to show them," Magla said. "If you be gentle and kind to something, it will come to you."

You can follow Karen on Twitter @karenreports.

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