The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
By Nell Minow,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fall in love with these brave and beautiful birds.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Telegraph Hill, overlooking the North Beach section of San Francisco, is a place where all kinds of creatures from all kinds of places can feel welcome. One of them is onetime musician Mark Bittner, a man with "no visible means of support" who is himself the support for some of the neighborhood's most colorful residents -- a flock of bright green wild parrots. THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL documents Bittner's one-of-a-kind mission.
Is It Any Good?
Through Bittner, even the least animal-friendly viewer will begin to fall in love with these brave and beautiful birds. His passion, dedication, and understanding are first impressive, then touching, then transcendent as he begins to talk about the death of a beloved parrot named Tupelo and tells a story from a zen master about the way we are all connected.
Bittner is in one respect a sort of St. Francis of Telegraph Hill, carting huge bags of birdseed home on the bus to feed to the parrots and taking the sick ones into his home to nurse them. But he is also their Jane Goodall, possibly the only person in history to study a group of parrots so intently over so long a period. Bittner doesn't have a job, at least not one that pays him anything. He lives rent-free in a crumbling cottage and gets free pastries from a local cafe. The birds are his full-time job. He studies them, reads up on them, consults the bird specialist at the local zoo, and develops his own treatments, even grooming one parrot when he no longer has a mate to do it for him. The movie concludes with a moment of breathtaking perfection with the sweetest connection of all.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Bittner decided what was important to him and the steps he took to help him deal with change and loss in his life.
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 8, 2005
- On DVD or streaming: December 27, 2005
- Cast: Mark Bittner
- Director: Judy Irving
- Studio: Shadow Distribution
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Science and Nature, Wild Animals
- Run time: 83 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- MPAA explanation: all audiences
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate