The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story . . . with Wings
by Mark Bittner
List Price:
Our Price: $4.50
You Save: $9.45 (68%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Mark BittnerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-01-25
ISBN: 140008170X
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Book Reviews of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story . . . with Wings
Book Review: a wonderful book
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the things that makes The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, by Mark Bittner, so special and different from other book on is that the writer has no special prior knowledge or education regarding birds. In the beginning of the story, Bittner has no money, no job, no car, and no food, and very little education. He lives in a friend's van for a while, until he is thrown out, and he spends his days scrounging on dirty streets for change so he can afford to buy a roll. He spends many nights thereafter under shrubbery at the foot of Telegraph Hill, and roams the city during the day. Eventually, he finds the roof of a hotel to spend his nights on, and he does so until his sister moves into town. For five months, he stays with her, until he is offered the chance to live in a small apartment on Telegraph Hill, in exchange for helping the elderly tenant there with her various chores. He stays in the lower apartment for four years, until the elderly woman is sent to a nursing home, at which point and he is allowed to stay in her luxurious apartment until she finds another tenant. While staying in her apartment, he is granted a view of her garden below, where he notices scrub jays, mourning doves, and chickadees. In an attempt to bring himself closer to nature, he finds a field guide on the woman's shelf and begins to identify the visitors at his feeders. On a whim he purchases a bag of bird seed, and then the parrots arrive.
Bittner had seen a stray parrot flying about the city a few times before, but now the parrots enter his own back yard. As time passes, Bittner becomes closer and closer to the birds, to the point where he can identify each member of the flock. He spends hours in bookstores, perusing the books on parrots, and is able to identify the breed of parrots which comprise the flock; the majority of the flock is cherry headed conures, but there is also a pair of blue headed conures. With much effort, he is able to coax the birds to eat from his hands. When members of the flock are sick, he brings them into his own home and nurses them back to health--and, as he begins to learn more and more about the birds, he learns more and more about himself. His relationship with the birds continues for several years, until he loses access to the feeding spot. Although it is difficult to imagine giving up such a powerful relationship cultivated over many years, Bittner states, "It doesn't matter. They never really needed my offerings of seed anyway."
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is not just about the birds. It is as much about Mark Bittner himself, and his quest for spirituality. From early on in the story, Bittner makes it clear that he desires to be a spiritual person. After moving into the apartment on Telegraph Hill, before he even begins feeding the parrots, he spends his days reading Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki-roshi. He gives up drugs, alcohol, coffee, and meat, begins meditating, and eliminates anything from his schedule which he had done simply to kill time. He longs to become closer to nature and decides that the only way to truly do so is to leave San Francisco-- until he began reading the works of Gary Snyder. "One day," he writes "While reading The Real Work, a collection of interviews with Snyder, I came upon this statement, `The city is just as natural as the country, let's not forget it.' There's nothing in the universe that's not natural by definition. One of the poems I liked best... was Night Herons, which is about the naturalness of San Francisco.' His words made me uncomfortable: there was an implication for me which I caught immediately: if I were sincere about knowing nature, I'd start right where I was living. He'd even named as an example the very city that I wished to escape. It was a pure, organic idea, the kind I always wanted to follow out. Still, I tried to ignore his point. My opposition wasn't rooted in any deeply held principle. It was more a lack of imagination. I simply couldn't picture myself walking around North Beach observing, for example, its bird life. That wasn't experiencing nature, it was bird watching." Inspired, he begins feeding the birds, and, ultimately, comes to know the parrots.
The book is written in a very conversational style. Bittner's memoir lacks the grandiloquent, flowery language of most bird-watching or nature books, and does not attempt to confuse the reader with use of highly technical ornithological terms. Indeed, he makes his lack of knowledge clear; he describes mistakes he made along the way, such as thinking that the baby birds were another species, or that the self mutilator in the flock had a skin condition. His willingness to be forthcoming about his own mistakes helped to characterize the author, and made me identify with him as a person. In most bird-books I have read, particularly those about parrots, the authors constantly advise against anthropomorphizing, (pinning human emotion to animal actions) an act that few pet-owners are able to stay away from. Not only does Bittner anthropomorphize, but the story is made stronger by his doing so; his descriptions of the flocks' personalities are what gives the book its charm.
Although perhaps the only main human character in the book is Bittner himself, the other minor characters who are a part of the story are described very poignantly. When Bittner is homeless, he describes the hateful people he meets-- police officers, who tell him if he spends another night in the alley he will wind up in jail; restaurant owners, who humiliate him before refusing his simple request for a glass of water; and even his own family, unwilling to offer him a home for more than a few months. These characters appear in stark contrast to the parrots who appear later: trusting, kind, intelligent creatures who respond to Bittner in a way no human ever has.
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill forces the reader to confront one's own prejudices and preconceived notions. I must admit, on my first reading of the book, I had very little respect for Bittner. He called himself a "dharma bum," but, as far as I was concerned, he was just a bum. He refused to take on a "real" job until he found his spiritual enlightenment, and, when he was allowed to stay in the elderly woman's apartment free of charge, with full use of her car and a credit card for gas, he announced that "everybody kept telling me how lucky I was when, in fact, I hadn't been more miserable in years." Quest for spiritual enlightenment or not, I decided he was obnoxious and lazy. Had it not been for the parrots, I might not have continued reading: I held very little respect for the man and his lifestyle. Bittner, however, was not the indolent character I had pictured upon the earlier descriptions. As the book continued--and as his relationship with the parrots developed--I began to respect him. Although throughout the book he never really found a "real job," his passion for the parrots consumed so much of his time that there was little time left for anything else. His careful study of the flock brought some incredibly important information into the hands of today's ornithologists. Along the way, Bittner found his spiritual fulfillment, and the parrots helped him finally find a job which didn't clash with his views. The book inspired a documentary film, and Bittner is today in very high demand as a speaker. It is fitting that the birds he worked so hard supporting are now his means of supporting himself.
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is an intriguing read and a beautiful story. Although the birds are an important part of the story, this book is about far more than that. Bittner found humanity outside of the human race, nature in a completely urban setting, and spiritual fulfillment in a flock of birds. This book is an inspiring read for anyone interested in birds, but also for anyone interested in the human race. I would recommend it to anyone.
Summary of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill: A Love Story . . . with Wings
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
?[A] charming memoir. For devoted birders everywhere.? ?Reader?s Digest, Editor?s Choice
?[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
Memoirs Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Memoirs Books
Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Centuryby Hunter S. Thompson
Penguin Books, Limited (UK); Published: 2008-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.11
Price in other shops:
Never Have Your Dog Stuffedby Alan Alda
Arrow Books; Published: 2007-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.59
Price in other shops:
The Hunger: A Story of Food, Desire, and Ambitionby John DeLucie, Graydon Carter
Ecco; Published: 2009-05-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.63
Price in other shops:
Brotherhood of Warriors: Behind Enemy Lines with a Commando in One of the World's Most Elite Counterterrorism Unitsby Aaron Cohen, Douglas Century
Ecco; Published: 2008-04-29; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.95
Price in other shops:
Not Lost Forever: My Story of Survivalby Carmina Salcido, Steve Jackson
William Morrow; Published: 2009-10-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.99
Price in other shops:
Unlocked: The Life and Crimes of a Mafia Insiderby Louis Ferrante
Harper Perennial; Published: 2009-02-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacherby William Zinsser
Harper; Published: 2009-05-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.09
Price in other shops:
Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Kornby Fieldy
William Morrow; Published: 2009-03-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.98
Price in other shops:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)by Barbara Kingsolver, Camille Kingsolver, Steven L. Hopp
Harper Perennial; Published: 2008-04-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.14
Price in other shops:
The Ride of My Lifeby Mat Hoffman
It Books; Published: 2003-09-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.95
Similar Books and other products
Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girlby Stacey O'Brien
Free Press; Published: 2009-06-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.75
Price in other shops:
Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating, and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Speciesby Mira Tweti
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2009-07-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.55
Price in other shops:
Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Oceanby Roz Savage
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2010-10-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.47
Price in other shops:
A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Oceanby Tori Murden McClure
Harper Perennial; Published: 2010-04-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.20
Price in other shops:
Reflect, Inform, Persuade: College Writing Todayby Elizabeth R. Kessler
Longman; Published: 2009-12-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.98
Price in other shops:
Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Oceanby Roz Savage
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2010-10-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.58
Price in other shops:
The Well-Crafted Sentence: A Writer's Guide to Styleby Nora Bacon
Bedford/St. Martin's; Published: 2008-12-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $29.63
Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Processby Irene Pepperberg
Harper Perennial; Published: 2009-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.76
Price in other shops:
The Parrot Who Owns Me: The Story of a Relationshipby Joanna Burger
Random House Trade Paperbacks; Published: 2002-05-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.81
Price in other shops:
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph HillNew Video; Release date: 2005-12-26; DVD
Best price: $8.81
Price in other shops: