Parrots of Telegraph Hill

What you need to know

Wild Cherry-Headed Conures in the City

A flock of wild parrots lives on Telegraph Hill. They’re cherry-headed conures: bright green bodies, red heads, loud as a car alarm. Native to Ecuador and Peru, they’ve been breeding in San Francisco since the 1990s. Nobody knows exactly how they got here. Escaped pets is the most likely story. They’ve been thriving ever since.

What Makes It Worth It

Hearing them is easy. They screech across North Beach and Telegraph Hill in groups of 20 to 50, impossible to miss when they fly overhead. Seeing them up close takes a bit more patience. The flock roosts in trees along the Greenwich Steps and the Filbert Steps on the east slope of Telegraph Hill, particularly in the late afternoon when they return to roost.

The parrots were the subject of a 2003 documentary and book, both called “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,” which followed a local who fed and tracked the flock for years. That story gave them celebrity status, but the birds were interesting before the cameras showed up.

Best in the late afternoon, when the flock congregates in the trees near Coit Tower and the stairway gardens. Morning sightings happen too, but they’re less predictable. You might see them; you might only hear them. That’s wildlife.

Skip this as a standalone destination. The parrots are a bonus on a Telegraph Hill walk, not a reason to make the trip by themselves. Combine with Coit Tower and the Filbert Steps for a full afternoon.

Visiting

Address: Telegraph Hill, especially the Filbert and Greenwich Steps (east side)

Hours: Dawn to dusk. Best sightings late afternoon.

Cost: Free

Best time to go: Late afternoon, year-round. The flock is most visible from March through July during nesting season.

What to know: Bring binoculars if you have them. The birds move fast and roost high in trees. The stairway gardens on the east side of Telegraph Hill are the best viewing spots. Don’t feed them.

Getting There

Transit: Muni 39-Coit bus goes directly to Coit Tower. The 30-Stockton and 45-Union stop at the base of Telegraph Hill.

Parking: Very limited at Coit Tower (small lot, fills fast). Street parking on Lombard or the Embarcadero, then walk up.

Walking: The Filbert Steps from Sansome Street are the most scenic approach. Steep but beautiful through private gardens.

📍 Location: This activity is in North Beach. Explore the neighborhood →