From the first moment that Dave Malone saw a flock of pigeons take flight, he knew that he was in love – and he has been in love with them ever since.

Malone recalls growing up in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn as a dangerous experience. As a 10-year-old, the New York City resident says that the streets were filled with crime, drug deals, and the sound of gun shots.

Malone, however, always managed to stay above the crime – literally and figuratively.

Instead of smoking, drinking, or getting into trouble with his friends, he would spend every day – from morning till night – on the neighborhood rooftops so he could hang out with the pigeons.

Forty years later, he still spends every day with his beloved birds.

(WATCH the inspiring video below)

Click To Share With Your Own Flock Of Friends – Photo by National Geographic