Flocks of wild parrots in San Francisco? Yes, it's true. Originally spotted on Telegraph Hill in the early 2000s, they have since spread to other parts of the City, including Dolores Park and the Presidio.
Monday evening, as we walked over Russian Hill to North Beach, we stopped to enjoy the antics of this group along the Vallejo Street Stairs.
You might have read the book, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill or perhaps you've seen the documentary film. Take a look at the trailer from this link.
Want to see or read more? If your local bookstore doesn't carry it, you can buy the DVD or the book. This is a great gift idea, too.
--- Come for a visit; Stay for a lifetime!
Lottie Kendall, Realtor®
Compass
CA DRE#10215160; 650-465-4547
Lottie@LottieKendall.com
Peninsula Living Business Page
You think CA new falcons from San Jose City Hall roof will take an interest in them?
Thanks for sharing.
I'm sure they would, Sam. Hawks are the #1 predator of the parrots. Good thing the parrots camouflage well in the trees.
I am amazed that as much as I love birds, that I never caught eye of them while visiting San Francisco. Next time???
That is pretty amazing to see wild parrots in a city. The last time I saw them was in Sydney. I did see that documentary.
I think they spend the night in the Presidio--I've often seen them just before dusk in the big eucalyptus trees near the Lombard Gate; also in eucalyptus in Ft. Mason near Van Ness. I'm guess our end-of-day spotting on Russian Hill was as they were heading back to the Presidio from Telegraph Hill. (But, what do I know?) - Kathleen Daniels
BTW-sorry I couldn't make it to your Meet Up today; looking forward to reading about it.
What did you think of the documentary, ? I was captivated, and thought Mark Bittner ais a gentle soul.
Lottie
So ironic that you wrote about this! I was going through some photos from my trip there for CRS a couple of years ago and I went walking every morning up Telegraph Hills. And of course the parrot were around - I have some great photos! I haven't seen the documentary or read about them but plan to - it's got to be an interesting story!
Jeff
Thank you for sharing the photo. I would love to see wild parrots in my neighborhood.
Good morning, Gita Bantwal - the parrots are delightfully charming--silly, noisy and seem to have fun!
Jeff Dowler CRS - I think you'd enjoy the book and/or movie. The documentary has some amazing shots, and Mark Bittner, who studied the parrots and worked with them, is an unconventional, interesting, gentle soul.
Much like Sam's comment, we've got a lot of desert hawks that would love a good parrot lunch. It's a good thing they're not in these parts.
Fortunately for our parrrots, Nicole Doty - Gilbert Real Estate Expert , we have a lot of foliage for cover. Doesn't always work, of course.
I read the book and I saw the film, so naturally that made us go back to Telegraph Hill just to see the parrots and while we were there, haul our butts up to Coit Tower and all the other walking tour stuff to see. But the parrots were phenomenal. I've never seen that many parrots in one place since, oh, maybe Ecuador. Still, it was like meeting royalty to see those birds.
Hi Lottie - that is really interesting that the parrots came back to San Francisco. The documentary film is worth getting.
The documentary is very endearing, Grant Schneider
Hi Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Real Estate Agent, Top 1% of Lyon Agents - I'm glad the parrots lived up to their charm and made the trudge up the stairs worthwhile.