The wild parrots of Telegraph Hill

A free-ranging flock of cherry-headed conures, widely known as the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill, became a noted urban wildlife phenomenon in San Francisco beginning in the late 20th century. The birds were popularized by Mark Bittner's 1994 book The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill and a 2003 documentary film, and they are commonly associated with the Telegraph Hill/Coit Tower area. Their daily appearances on terraces and in the vegetation of Telegraph Hill are documented in local natural-history reporting and guidebooks. The parrots' exact origins are debated among researchers, but their presence in the neighborhood is a verifiable part of local lore.