Like a lot of young people in the 1970s, Mark Bittner took the path of the “dharma bum.” When the counterculture faded, Mark held on, seeking shelter in the nooks and crannies of San Francisco’s fabled bohemian neighborhood, North Beach. While living on the eastern slope of Telegraph Hill, he made a magical discovery: a flock of wild parrots. In this unforgettable story, Bittner recounts how he became fascinated by the birds and patiently developed friendships with them that would last more than six years. When a documentary filmmaker comes along to capture the phenomenon on film, the story takes a surprising turn, and Bittner’s life truly takes flight.
“A fascinating love story with wings.” —Boston Herald
“[An] inspirational saga of one man finding his life’s meaning in the most serendipitous way.” —San Jose Mercury News
“Instructive, surprising, sweet.” —Gary Snyder, author of Turtle Island and Mountains and Rivers Without End
About The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is the inspiring story of how one man found his life’s work—and true love—among a gang of wild parrots roosting in one of America’s most picturesque urban settings.
Mark Bittner was down on his luck. He’d gone to San Francisco at the age of twenty-one to take a stab at a music career, but he hadn’t had much success. After many years as an odd-jobber in the area, he accepted work as a housekeeper for an elderly woman. The gig came with a rent-free studio apartment on the city’s famed Telegraph Hill, which had somehow become home to a flock of brilliantly colored wild parrots.
In this unforgettable story, Bittner recounts how he became fascinated by the birds and made up his mind to get to know them and gain their trust. He succeeds to such a degree that he becomes the local wild parrot expert and a tourist attraction. People can’t help gawking at the man who, during daily feedings, stands with parrots perched along both arms and atop his head. When a documentary filmmaker comes along to capture the phenomenon on film, the story takes a surprising turn, and Bittner’s life truly takes flight.
MARK BITTNER is the subject of a documentary film, also titled The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, directed by Judy Irving. He still lives in San Francisco on Telegraph Hill.
About Mark Bittner
MARK BITTNER is the subject of a documentary film, also titled The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, directed by Judy Irving. He still lives in San Francisco on Telegraph Hill.
