a wonderfully made documentary! the story line is consistent and keeps you glued for the next situation or event in the parrots and bittners involvement with them and their daily life.you will feel very sorry for some of the parrots. and feel glad that bittner is there to care for them. but in the end - nature wins.my only problem with this docu was the taking of "mingus" and some other parrots (which were caged) to a parrot rescue center. it is never explained why bittner couldn't keep the indoor caged parrots when he moved. he found a place to live! and he loved "mingus". this decision is never made clear.otherwise i would suggest this movie to anyone interested in urban wild life and human interaction with them!

*Spoiler/plot- 2003, A large flock of non-native birds, Cherry-Headed Conures live in a district of San Francisco. A lone man becomes their benefactor and gets a special life.*Special Stars- Mark Bittner. Dir: Judy Irving *Theme- Sensitive natured people often become victims of their own interests to hide out.*Based on- Newspaper stories from San Francisco media.*Trivia/location/goofs- Documentary. Takes place on location in 'Telegraph Hill' near Coit Tower, North Beach neighborhood, San Francisco, Calif.*Emotion- A rather interesting movie exploring the relationship of a unemployed friendly sensitive musician that has taken care or adopted a flock of Cherry-headed Conure parrots from South America in his neighborhood. For over ten years, he has become their adopted benefactor and spokesperson. While doing this, he has put his life 'on-hold' and has become a reclusive person with little relationships and opportunities much like the parrots. While this is a nature lover's dream story, I could not help but wonder about the musician's emotional and development level in this situation. In the end, he begins a relationship with the female documentary producer of this film piece. Maybe that's the best karmic ending of them all concerned.

Rarely do I want to see a movie twice but when I keep thinking about a movie the day after seeing it and want to watch it again, I know I have found a special film. This movie worked on me in so many ways. At first I didn't even like the main (human) character. I thought he was a lazy bum. But as I watched him I grew jealous of him. He lives his own life and he does good things for others. How many people can say that! On top of the main character, the film moves at a good pace and the story is very entertaining. The plot captures you and the other actors (the parrots) are so good at showing their personalities. The music is excellent. I won't say much more because I do not want to spoil the story but this film is great for anyone, adults or children. And if you love birds, then you must watch this film but make sure you have a hankie available. One of the best films I have ever seen. BTW, I saw it by downloading it from Netflix.

Good 80-minute movie!! In many ways reminds me of "Pale Male", the similar documentary of birds settling in residence in Manhattan, including the mating and fledging habits. Here we have Mark Bittner, a virtually jobless and homeless musician who never quite made it in San Francisco, and now is essentially a squatter with permission from the property owners. There has been a colony of wild parrots in San Francisco for some time, and Bittner began feeding and attending to them near Telegraph Hill, a prominent feature of the area. When a bird became ill, he took it in and nursed it back to health until it could survive on its own again. He had names for most of them.Bittner is a kind and scruffy looking fellow, with a very long ponytail hanging down. When asked about his long hair, he said he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't cut it until he found a girlfriend. That answered a key question! There are many theories where the wild parrots came from. The movie included 4 or 5 locals telling their versions, all of which are different. But no one really knows. However, they thrive and their numbers continue to increase. Eventually Bittner had to leave his apartment because the owners were making major repairs, so he went to stay with some friends in a different part of the area, forcing him to say a teary eyed goodbye.SPOILERS, in case anyone really is sensitive. Bittner did cut his hair, we see it, because he found a girlfriend, in the person of Judy Irving, the director of this film. Undoubtedly a perfect match.