From KQED. I'm Olivia Alan Price and this is Bay Curious, a KQED podcast that explores

the Bay Area one question at a time.

It's a typical day at San Francisco's Dolores Park.

You see palm trees swaying in the breeze, kids on the playground, when all of a sudden there is this big commotion above you.

In the sky is this swirl of squawking color. A huge flock of parrots. They've got these

green bodies and bright red heads.

Listener Colleen MacLowery sent us this question about the birds.

Where did all of the parrots in San Francisco come from?

I think they're probably not native to the city, but I'm

interested to know how they got there. You're right, Colleen, these parrots, called Cherry

Headed Conyers, are not native here.

As to how they got here, well, let's go with reporter Jessica Plachek to Telegraph Hill.

Support for Bay Curious is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, still

family owned, operated, and argued over. Explore their brews wherever fine beverages are

sold and taste how trailblazing runs in the family.

Visit Sierra Nevada.com to find your new favorite beer today.

If you're looking to learn about the parrots, everyone will tell you that you've got to talk to one guy, Mark Bittner.

I went to meet him at home.

Very often, there'll be a few parrots on that railing.

Bittner wrote a book on the Conyers

and starred in a documentary,

both titled The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

...