Mark Bittner

Mark Bittner (b. November 29, 1951, Vancouver, Washington) is an American writer. He is the author of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

Bittner spent 14 years on the streets of San Francisco after his dream of becoming a professional musician fell apart. After many years of doing odd jobs while maintaining a Dharma Bums-type lifestyle, he found a flock of naturalized parrots (mostly cherry-headed conures also known as Red-masked Parakeets) in the area of Telegraph Hill.

His book, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, and the documentary of the same name, by Judy Irving, describe that encounter and the relationship he formed with the birds. In 2006, Judy married Mark Bittner after the two fell in love during the filming of Parrots.

Bittner later concluded that human feeding of the wild birds in parks (as opposed to backyard feeders) was a bad idea.^[1] He was among those who persuaded the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to pass an ordinance prohibiting the practice.^[1]

Bittner is a member of the South End Rowing Club.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Feeding Ordinance, Page 1". Markbittner.net. http://www.markbittner.net/writings/feeding_ordinance1.html. Retrieved 2011-07-28. 

External links

• THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL site for Independent Lens on PBS
• Official page of the book
• Official page of Documentary Movie
• Mark Bittner at the Internet Movie Database
• An excerpt from "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill A Love Story ... with Wings," by Mark Bittner

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Name	Bittner, Mark
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Date of birth	November 29, 1951
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