The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

I'm quite sure that there are people who think that Mark Bittner is insane. I know there's at least one. At one point in this documentary, a gentleman walks up to Mr. Bittner while the environmentalist-in-training is feeding some Cherry-Headed Conures by hand, and begins asking that environmentalist a lot of questions. A lot of loaded questions. Questions in which the asker believes he knows the answers to better than the answerer. At the end of the mildly-lengthy exchange, the man huffs, groans, "Whatever. . .", turns his back, walks away, and shakes his head in an all-knowing manner.Mr. Bittner didn't take the bait. He rejected the exchange just like my Goffin's Cockatoo would do with a 20-year-old Nutri-berry. Mr. Bittner just smiled, and let the man go on his way.And in this scene, you already have the sense that Mr. Bittner is more balanced perhaps than most other people. In other words, people who go to school, graduate from college, get white collar jobs, and live "the American Dream." After watching "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" (WPTH), you might just come to the opinion that Mr. Bittner is NOT insane. And perhaps that most other people ARE. Somehow, he turns people's socialized belief systems right on their heads.Well, I never thought that Mr. Bittner was insane myself, even the first time that I watched this very moving documentary. Just before my wife and I moved from Seattle to San Francisco almost five years ago, we just had to watch this film in advance, and we weren't disappointed. And after we moved to Noe Valley just after that, we were even less disappointed when (I believe) these exact birds flew over our house almost everyday, even landing in a tree across the street for a "snack." (I think that I heard the gal who owned the tree call them "pests," or something, but I sure didn't think they were "pests" myself.) My wife still sees these birds flying around San Francisco, which is good news, just as Mr. Bittner argued during a City Hall Meeting, that "the birds will be just fine on their own," or something along those lines. I guess he was right.But I finally bought this yesterday for streaming, as I had to watch it again, and I knew that I would watch it again still. It is quite moving. I just had a 17 year-old Umbrella Cockatoo that died this last summer after emergency surgery, and so I felt true empathy for Mr. Bittner when one of his "friends" died. I tell you, when my pet Cockatoo died, I realized that I've had relatives who have died that I cared less about. And I suppose you could argue that Mr. Bittner was "preaching to the choir" to me during this film, as I am a "friend" of parrots myself. But even if you don't have a parrot "friend," this documentary should still move you. After all, Mr. Bittner seems to be a friend of almost all animals himself. Who isn't?I will argue that, no matter what you think, Mr. Bittner is not insane. He's actually ironically quite the opposite. But I might argue that you might be mildly insane if you don't give this film at least a chance by watching it. It will not only make you change your mind about Mr. Bittner, his parrots too, but also yourself. You might just want to rip off your suit and live a simpler life after viewing. And feed a few parrots along the way.

I thought this was an important film, one that addresses wild parrot populations in the state of California, but also the redemption of a homeless man by these birds and his journey learning about them. It’s an argument against caged birds as it shows them highly social and connected. My significant other is raising a ferral baby Amazon that was knocked out its nest blind w out feathers by a tree being cut down. He now is 6 mos old and so smart. There is a surprise at the end of the film♥️

Couple of years after I bought this for my collection and I still haven't watched it again. But one thing I know for sure: This is a five out of five star movie. I happen to love SF already and have bias. This is a beautiful and moving story in many ways, do watch the entire thing. Remember what living simple was like. Great camera work, amazing SF co-starring in the show, and gentle people. This is a reminder of the type of sanctuary city we expect it to be.

This documentary moves at a great pace (not too slow or too fast) and covers a lot of topics. If you are a parrot lover then this documentary is a definite must see for you!The documentary is 83 minutes long and focuses on a flock of feral Cherry-Headed Conures that have made Telegraph Hill (a region of San Francisco, CA) their home. Mark Bittner, a layman and bird lover, takes great interest in studying and learning more about the Cherry Headed Conure flock for his own personal interest. No one else had really taken an interest into learning how these feral/non-native species were surviving let alone thriving in the San Francsico Bay Area. Most naturalists seemed to want to destroy the wild parrots as they were a nonindigenous species to North America.Mr. Bitter studied the flock on a daily or near daily basis. You can tell he has a real love and devotion for these birds and cares about their well being. He could identify each bird by its individual markings & had given each bird a name. He knew their personalities & quirks, which bird was mating with which bird, where they were nesting and how many babies that were hatched and survived! Mr. Bittner spent so much time around the wild parrots that they would land on him or eat seeds out of his hand. If they were ill or sick he would care for them until they were well enough to return to the flock.No one knows for sure how the feral Cherry Headed Conures came to habitat Telegraph Hill, but various urban legands are told throughout this documentary as to how the Wild Parrots came to habit Telegraph Hill.

This quite special documentary gives a portrait not only of a flock of wild cherry-headed conures in San Francisco, but also of the man who looks after them on a very ad hoc basis, Mark Bittner, and of the city itself, whose magic comes across in glorious summer sun. The birds are really the stars of the show, which is how Mr. Bittner would want it ... his affection for them is palpable and we get a growing sense of it as he tells us the stories of a number of birds, each with names, and takes us into close observation of them thanks to the camera of the filmmaker, Judy Irving. They are both playful and affectionate, and seem to be happiest in pairs. They are also seen flying over the bay, their freedom contrasting with Alcatraz in the bright light, or performing a kind of ballet with a small plane. The whole thing has a slightly Buddhist feel, in terms of the value of life, the spiritual dimension that encompasses humans and birds alike. Bittner is certainly an interesting case himself, a man who seems to have drifted a certain amount since his youthful ambition to be a rock musician, but who finds a connection with the birds that in the end is very moving. Whenever one of them is ill he takes it in to nurse it, but he never tries to curtail their freedom, and has immense respect for their wildness (a bit like the boy in Kes - but hawks are here the enemy ...). This is a must-see film for anyone that loves birds - and these parrots are extremely engaging, from blue-headed Connor to Mingus to Tupelo ... each one wonderfully individual. There is a philosophy of life in there too, and something fantastic that can only be known to those that have seen it ...

I found this 83 min REGION 1 DVD ok.The films endearing guide is Mark Bittner, a local bohemian, but the supporting cast members, a rambunctious flock of urban parrots, are the true stars. The film follows the ups and downs of these wild birds within the green riches of San Francisco as Bittner befriends, feeds and names the members of the flock. Along the way it meets many unforgettable characters. Among then are Connon, the grouchy yet lovable outcast of the flock, crying for a mate but luckless in his pursuits, and the lovers Picasso and Sophie, inseparable until Sophie is forced into mourning when Picasso disappears. More than a mere birdwatcher, Bittner finds solace in his immersion with these strikingly beautiful creatures. But how will he cope when he is evicted from his sanctuary and forced to live away from the parrots?

What a great documentary. We visited San Francisco just over a year ago for the first time and we walked from Coits Tower down Telegraph Hill and saw these green flashes before our eyes, we couldn't believe we were seeing wild parrots!! We then found out about this documentary and we had to get it to add to our memories and now can wait to go back and look in more detail!!! It makes you google wild parrots and you just don't believe they are everywhere!!! We even showed people who haven't been to San Francisco and they thoroughly enjoyed this documentary too.

Was bought as a gift. The recipient was happy with this book. Would happily order in the future from this supplier.

I really enjoyed this film seeing the conures flying free. They are a feral flock but seem really at home.