RELATED VIDEO CNN's Don Knapp talks with the man who befriends the parrots and the community that will miss him Windows Media 28K 80K   FRINGE MAIL   Would you like to receive a weekly summary of Fringe news in your inbox? Sign up for Fringe Mail.

SAN FRANCISCO (CNN) -- The city of San Francisco could end up adopting a flock of several dozen parrots when the birds' benefactor moves and leaves most of his fine-feathered friends behind.

The 50 parrots may have once flown wild in Ecuador. It's suspected they were trapped and shipped to California to be sold as pets. But the colorful birds had the good fortune first to escape, and secondly, to meet Mark Bittner.

For five years, the Telegraph Hill resident has cared for the parrots, which are so eye-catching they have been listed as a sight-to-see in some city guides.

But Bittner must move soon, because his apartment needs to be renovated. That apartment, high on the hill with a view of Alcatraz and the bay, has served as a cafeteria, hospital and parrot lounge for the wild flock.

"It started out with fascination and bewilderment. And it's just become a really deep friendship," Bittner says. "You walk along, and maybe you're blue about something. Then this big flock of parrots comes flying overhead, and you just laugh because they're so eccentric."

Neighbors say parrot squawks fit right in with the sounds of the city and the waterfront below.

"I think, most profoundly, they're a daily reminder that San Francisco is still an oasis for exotics," says Telegraph Hill resident Staci Shember.

Many of the birds are tame enough to be fed by hand, and some have names and distinct personalities.

"This is Sophie and Picasso. They're a mated pair," Bittner points out. "They do love each other, too. She's very loyal to him."

Bittner says he doesn't want to be known as the bird man, or parrot man, of Telegraph Hill. He says he is just a friend of the flock, and when he leaves, the birds will do just fine.

But city officials aren't so sure. They have asked the director of Animal Care and Control to let them know what the department might do for the birds, who have become accustomed to dining three or four times a day at Bittner's apartment.

"We don't want to interfere with nature," said Althea Kippes, vice chairwoman of the city's Commission of Animal Control and Welfare. "But we should look out for them, so no one tries to trap them or poison them."

Bittner said his long relationship with the wild flock of tropical birds is part of his decision to leave the city. Just as he has altered the parrots' lives, Bittner said, they have changed his.

San Francisco recently honored his bird-tending efforts by declaring a "Wild Parrot Day." Bittner and his flock will also be the subject of a children's movie. And when the film is completed, Bittner plans to go off and write a book about the unique relationship.

But he won't exactly be feather-free. Bittner will take with him four parrots who now live with him full-time as pets. Three have suffered injuries, and one parrot has refused to spend much time on the wild side of San Francisco.

Correspondent Don Knapp contributed to this report.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

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