Joe Kahlo
The ‘hummingbird whisperer’ AKA Meet Melanie Barboni, an assistant researcher at the University of California
She has built up a community of 200 hummingbirds who live right outside her office and even complain if she serves their dinner late.
So far, she can recognize 50 different birds by name including her Squeak who is her “first friend at UCLA,” as well as Stardust and Zircon.
Squeak will often be found perched on her finger or sleeping on the computer monitor to stay warm, “That is where she spends her nights when it is cold or windy outside.”
She is greeted by her bird friends every morning, “My dearest dream as a child was to see hummingbirds.” she says.
“Imagine my joy when I found out that my next job assignment would bring me to Los Angeles, where hummingbirds live year-round.”
“They are just so cute, and so smart! They remember you. They get to know you, and then they interact with you,”
Check out the video of 200 beautiful hummingbirds below:
“I cannot go to a place where they are not there… This is cheesy, but I have seen them help people. They make my life happy. Having a crappy day? Who cares — there are hummingbirds around… Having a good day? Hummingbirds make it better…”
