June 18, 2005
I can clearly remember the first time I saw the wild parrots of San Francisco flying through the air over my neighborhood. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Or my ears, for that matter…their voices sound like a thousand tin cans rolling down a hill. Where had these bright green strangers come from, and why were they here? San Franciscans have a variety of explanations for these birds, but the one thing that we (mostly) agree on is that we love them.
A new book and film — “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” — goes a long way towards shedding light on this phenomenon. Mark Bittner, author and co-subject of the documentary, practically became a member of the flock while living on San Francisco’s famous Telegraph Hill, and his intimate relationship with and study of these birds provides great insight into their story.
it’s a fascinating and a poignant one, because Mark was homeless and down on his luck as the saga begins, and the flock provides him with — truly — a reason to live. through the book and film, he is now able to return the favor to these gorgeous avian immigrants. Visit his website for a tremendous range of photographs, sound recordings, stories, and the history of these birds.
Sparkletack was the blog and podcast of a guy obsessed with diggin' up San Francisco history. The site is on permanent hiatus.
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February 23, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Hi, Richard!
I am lucky enough to work in one of the Embarcadero Centers, and these fabulous birds stop by every day, usually in the afternoon, to provide a concert. We often have visitors in our reception area who comment on the delightful parrots, and I’m happy to now be able to give a little more info to stimulate their interest.
Chloe
March 9, 2010 at 1:55 am
Yes, there are colonies of wild birds in unusual places all over the world. Have you heard of the flocks of parakeets around the Surrey area, south of London, England? The myth is that they escaped from Shepperton Studios whilst they were filming the 1951 classic ‘The African Queen’ with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn!