A photographer in Chennai, India, has been called the "birdman' by locals as he feeds thousands of birds each day during the country's coronavirus lockdown.

Joseph Sekar, a photographer by profession, has fed thousands of parrots each day and continues to do so through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sekar puts around 75kg of rice and grains mixed with water outside for the birds to snack on.

The photographer said: "During the coronavirus outbreak, like how people are suffering even birds are suffering without food. The birds are not getting proper food, normally from March, the parrot's arrival will be very less, so we keep less food for the parrots.

"Even birds wouldn't have experienced such a long period of silence in the world.

"Birds were getting enough food from humans and the food waste from the garbages. But now they are not getting that, so coming here in large numbers to get their food.

"So not to disappoint them, even though there were not enough supplies, I am buying rice in large quantities and storing here to make sure they get food every day.

"I never missed a day feeding the parrots in the last 18 years, but now I am a bit worried whether I will have sufficient stocks to feed the parrots."

In view of the Coronavirus outbreak in the country and to prevent the spread of the virus, several parts of India are under complete lockdown. With public establishments shutting down and people under home quarantine, thousands of stray animals and birds in the country that depend on restaurants and open markets are having a hard time finding food.

Joseph Sekar, a photographer by profession, popularly known as the 'Birdman' in the Royapettah area in Chennai, feeding thousands of parrots every day and he has been doing this for a decade. Everyday Sekar puts around 75kgs of rice and grains with water on his parapet walls for Parrots.

As of Tuesday, India has registered over 18,000 cases and recorded nearly 600 deaths due to COVID-19.

SOT 1: Joseph Sekar (Speaking in Tamil) TC 00:31 - During the Corona outbreak, like how people are suffering even birds are suffering without food. The birds are not getting proper food, normally from march, the parrot's arrival will be very less, so we keep less food for the parrots. But now its 23rd April still lots of birds are coming here and they are enjoying their freedom now.

SOT 2: Joseph Sekar (Speaking in Tamil) TC 01:23 - We have never seen such a lockdown in our lifetime. Even birds wouldn't have experienced such a long period of silence in the world. Birds were getting enough food from humans and the food waste from the garbages. But now they are not getting that, so coming here in large numbers to get their food. So not to disappoint them, even though there were not enough supplies, I am buying rice in large quantities and storing here to make sure they get food every day. I never missed a day feeding the parrots in the last 18 years, but now I am a bit worried whether I will have sufficient stocks to feed the parrots. That's why I am buying rice every day and storing it in my place, that's one of my daily duty during the lockdown period. God's grace so far I never faced a shortage of rice.