Rodgers Magutha, the man who always lives with birds on his head and shoulders

The Kenyan Rodgers Oloo Magutha, 28 years old, has become famous throughout the world especially for something very unusual: walks the streets with wild birds perched on his head and shoulders, which he himself saved and cared for. This is why he is known by the nickname “Nairobi Birdman”It all started in the spring of 2020 when Rodgers, with a group of friends, was eating fried chicken and chips under a tree in Nairobi. At that moment, a clearly injured kite chick appeared, which Rodgers decided to save, nurse, and care for.

Today, the young Kenyan, orphaned as a child and homeless for several years, has turned a small setback into a life choice, and is primarily dedicated to saving birds, taking them with him wherever he goes. At home, he raises pigeons, chickens, ducks, and even a flamingo.

Photos and videos of him with large birds of prey or crows on their heads, while walking through the crowded streets of Nairobi, have gone viral on social media. Rodgers, and this is truly incredible, doesn't have a technique for taming wild birds that he then releases to fly wherever they please once they're healed, but he explains that his weapon is love: .

But Rodgers's lifestyle choice also carries a clear political message, as was evident when he was seen and photographed in January 2024 with his birds in a square protesting the government. Those images went viral and transformed him into a symbolic figure of resilience and hope. When asked about the reasons for this choice, "the birdman of Nairobi" responds by stating his goals as a man of peace who wants to live in a more democratic country, desires a better future for his generation, and considers himself an environmentalist, a friend of birds, and a defender of people living on the streets.