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Urgent: Help Keep SF's Wild Parrots Wild! Email SF Supes Now to Support Feeding Ban
Ask SF Supervisors to support proposed ban on feeding famous flock
The health, welfare and safety of the beloved wild parrots of Telegraph Hill are now threatened by a group of misguided bird lovers who have taken to feeding the parrots in a downtown San Francisco park. The birds are rapidly becoming assimilated to direct interaction with human beings, and many will now feed directly from any stranger's hand. While it is bad enough that tameness is quickly turning the parrots from a flock of wild birds into a mere tourist attraction, it also makes them vulnerable to numerous threats, ranging from unsustainable population growth to outright abduction.
Please take action today to help the parrots!
On Tuesday, May 22nd, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is going to vote on a proposal that would prohibit the feeding of parrots in San Francisco 's parks. Please email the Supervisors in your own words BY MONDAY, MAY 21st urging them to pass this law to protect the flock from current and impending dangers.
You can get contact information for all of the Supervisors at http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=7271 (note that you don't need to contact Sean Elsbernd, as he is already fully on board). If you live in San Francisco, be sure to identify yourself as a property owner or renter, and mention any particular organizations you represent or are a member of. If you live in San Francisco, also be sure to state that you are a constituent and a voter as well when writing to the Supervisor who represents your district.
BACKGROUND:
In general, fame has been good to the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill. The eponymous film that made them celebrities has certainly won them many advocates around the world, and was instrumental in convincing the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to recently pass an ordinance protecting their habitat on the Greenwich Steps ( http://animalrighter.blogspot.com/2007/03/san-francisco-protects-wild-parrots.html ). Unfortunately, their notoriety is now putting their health, welfare and survival in jeopardy, as the wild parrots are quickly becoming tame as a result of being fed by human beings.
What, you might ask, could be the harm in people feeding wild birds? In fact, didn't Mark Bittner model this very behavior in the film itself? Why then should he be allowed to have all the fun, and then go around ordering others to do what he says, not what he does?
Bittner has earned the right to give such advice because he's spent more than a decade studying the flock, and probably knows more about these particular birds than anyone else in the world. He has always taken care to feed them only outside of his home on the Greenwich Steps, and not to let anyone else get too close to ensure that the flock remained wild and wary of humans, some of whom might do them accidental or intentional harm.
Several months ago, against Bittner's express warnings, a certain man started feeding the wild parrots in a downtown park. Following this individual's example, a small group of people has lately been hand-feeding the parrots so that now they land on just about any stranger's hand, whether friend or foe, making them easy targets for unscrupulous individuals bent on abducting them. This is believed to have already happened at least once, and is likely to be repeated so long as the flock remains habituated to people.
Acculturation to humans poses other potential threats to the flock, as well. For example:
- Hand-feeding teaches birds to be dependent on humans for sustenance, and removes their incentive to forage for wild-growing foods like berries and flower blossoms. An unbalanced diet consisting of too many seeds can also cause the parrots long-term liver damage.
- Having unnatural access to large amounts of free seed could cause the flock to overbreed and grow their numbers beyond what San Francisco's urban habitat can support. This could precipitate a population crash or impact the ecological balance that now exists between parrots and native bird species. Increased noise and bird droppings could also eventually foment a backlash from annoyed residents calling for their removal or even extermination.
- Getting too close to wild birds can put people in danger. Anyone who's ever been bitten by a parrot knows that their powerful jaws and pointed beak can deliver a bite that is extremely painful. This could leave the city open to lawsuits from people who are bitten for whatever reason while feeding the birds. Parrots can also harbor a communicable disease which causes worms to grow in the eyes and brain. This virus can be transmitted to humans through direct contact.
Like many people around the world, I have a personal affinity for our city's wild parrots. I have therefore taken a special interest in advocating on behalf of these unique birds over the last year and a half or so. Based on what I have learned, I believe i t is crucial for the city do whatever is necessary to reverse this trend now, before the situation worsens. I hope you will join me, Mark Bittner, filmmaker Judy Irving and other parrot advocates in this effort. Please urge the Board of Supervisors to pass the proposed law to protect the flock from current and impending dangers.
Please take action today to help the parrots!
On Tuesday, May 22nd, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is going to vote on a proposal that would prohibit the feeding of parrots in San Francisco 's parks. Please email the Supervisors in your own words BY MONDAY, MAY 21st urging them to pass this law to protect the flock from current and impending dangers.
You can get contact information for all of the Supervisors at http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=7271 (note that you don't need to contact Sean Elsbernd, as he is already fully on board). If you live in San Francisco, be sure to identify yourself as a property owner or renter, and mention any particular organizations you represent or are a member of. If you live in San Francisco, also be sure to state that you are a constituent and a voter as well when writing to the Supervisor who represents your district.
BACKGROUND:
In general, fame has been good to the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill. The eponymous film that made them celebrities has certainly won them many advocates around the world, and was instrumental in convincing the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to recently pass an ordinance protecting their habitat on the Greenwich Steps ( http://animalrighter.blogspot.com/2007/03/san-francisco-protects-wild-parrots.html ). Unfortunately, their notoriety is now putting their health, welfare and survival in jeopardy, as the wild parrots are quickly becoming tame as a result of being fed by human beings.
What, you might ask, could be the harm in people feeding wild birds? In fact, didn't Mark Bittner model this very behavior in the film itself? Why then should he be allowed to have all the fun, and then go around ordering others to do what he says, not what he does?
Bittner has earned the right to give such advice because he's spent more than a decade studying the flock, and probably knows more about these particular birds than anyone else in the world. He has always taken care to feed them only outside of his home on the Greenwich Steps, and not to let anyone else get too close to ensure that the flock remained wild and wary of humans, some of whom might do them accidental or intentional harm.
Several months ago, against Bittner's express warnings, a certain man started feeding the wild parrots in a downtown park. Following this individual's example, a small group of people has lately been hand-feeding the parrots so that now they land on just about any stranger's hand, whether friend or foe, making them easy targets for unscrupulous individuals bent on abducting them. This is believed to have already happened at least once, and is likely to be repeated so long as the flock remains habituated to people.
Acculturation to humans poses other potential threats to the flock, as well. For example:
- Hand-feeding teaches birds to be dependent on humans for sustenance, and removes their incentive to forage for wild-growing foods like berries and flower blossoms. An unbalanced diet consisting of too many seeds can also cause the parrots long-term liver damage.
- Having unnatural access to large amounts of free seed could cause the flock to overbreed and grow their numbers beyond what San Francisco's urban habitat can support. This could precipitate a population crash or impact the ecological balance that now exists between parrots and native bird species. Increased noise and bird droppings could also eventually foment a backlash from annoyed residents calling for their removal or even extermination.
- Getting too close to wild birds can put people in danger. Anyone who's ever been bitten by a parrot knows that their powerful jaws and pointed beak can deliver a bite that is extremely painful. This could leave the city open to lawsuits from people who are bitten for whatever reason while feeding the birds. Parrots can also harbor a communicable disease which causes worms to grow in the eyes and brain. This virus can be transmitted to humans through direct contact.
Like many people around the world, I have a personal affinity for our city's wild parrots. I have therefore taken a special interest in advocating on behalf of these unique birds over the last year and a half or so. Based on what I have learned, I believe i t is crucial for the city do whatever is necessary to reverse this trend now, before the situation worsens. I hope you will join me, Mark Bittner, filmmaker Judy Irving and other parrot advocates in this effort. Please urge the Board of Supervisors to pass the proposed law to protect the flock from current and impending dangers.
For more information:
http://www.animalrighter.org
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This is a great essay. You say it much better than I could have said it. I am
that misguided person that went against better judgment. I also urge people
to write their supervisors and support the ban. It will be hard for me to stop feeding
them. But it is the right thing to do.
But I have to prepare for the future, that the ban might not pass. The parrot
feeders are gathering signatures on a petition to preserve their right to feed
the flock. They wear hats with green and red feathers, a nice touch.
If the ban doesn't pass, what are some things we can be doing to bring the
issue home to people. How can we make people understand that this is an
activity that St. Francis might actually not condone?
that misguided person that went against better judgment. I also urge people
to write their supervisors and support the ban. It will be hard for me to stop feeding
them. But it is the right thing to do.
But I have to prepare for the future, that the ban might not pass. The parrot
feeders are gathering signatures on a petition to preserve their right to feed
the flock. They wear hats with green and red feathers, a nice touch.
If the ban doesn't pass, what are some things we can be doing to bring the
issue home to people. How can we make people understand that this is an
activity that St. Francis might actually not condone?
Thank you for bringing this up. Can you provide any more detail about the bird that was stolen? That concerns me greatly. Did anybody get a description of the person who did it?
Hi Mat-
I appreciate your concern for the San Francisco naturalized parrot flock. Do you mind if I quickly bounce some questions off you?
1) "He has always taken care to feed them only outside of his home on the Greenwich Steps, and not to let anyone else get too close to ensure that the flock remained wild and wary of humans"
Doesn't Mark qualify as a human? Do we know enough about parrot psychology to know that, once they found one human with an unlimited supply of sunflower seeds they wouldn't attempt in investigate others?
2) "This is believed to have already happened at least once, and is likely to be repeated so long as the flock remains habituated to people."
Do you have ANY detail on this other than the fact that one bird with distinctive markings is missing? Have you been able to rule out cats or hawks or any of the other urban dangers? Do you have any numbers on the mortality rate of the flock?
3) "Hand-feeding teaches birds to be dependent on humans for sustenance, and removes their incentive to forage for wild-growing foods like berries and flower blossoms."
Mark has said:
"There are people before me, there are people now and I'm sure there will be people who will feed them after me," Bittner said. (SF Chronicle Mar 12, 1999)
Mark started hand feeding in 1993 and there is documentation that they were fed by humans for several years before that (its in the DVD extras section). So we have a documented history of 15-20 years of hand feeding. When can we expect to see the decreased foraging activity? Right now they leave their roost in foraging parties at sunrise and don't return until 5:30 PM.
4) An unbalanced diet consisting of too many seeds can also cause the parrots long-term liver damage.
I'll refer you to http://www.parrotchronicles.com:80/marchapril2003/parrotpeople.htm where you see:
"“Bittner feeds the flock nothing but sunflower seeds. He's quick to acknowledge that's not a good diet for pet birds, but correctly points out that the fatty treats are fine for wild birds because they expend so much energy.”"
I think you are ignoring the different nutritional needs of wild vs caged birds.
5) - Having unnatural access to large amounts of free seed could cause the flock to overbreed
San Francisco Chronicle, March 5, 2000, Mark said “The flock's numbers are not growing explosively, and I don't believe they ever will, as parrots are not good breeders.”.
He probably said this due to the limitation of suitable nesting habitat.
6) "Parrots can also harbor a communicable disease which causes worms to grow in the eyes and brain. This virus can be transmitted to humans through direct contact. "
The worm that had been discussed is Baylisascaris. The birds can get it from raccoon feces but once infected they serve as a paratenic host in which the worms never reach sexual maturity and don't leave the body of the bird. We checked this with the CDC and they confirmed that nothing short of eating the bird raw could possibly result in human transmission. Do your own research but you should consider publishing a retraction on this one.
7) In regards to biting, people have been feeding the parrots for awhile and yes, the bites do hurt! I'll give you that one.
I've asked these questions in a respectful and thoughtful manner and I await your explanations. Thanks!
-Jeff
I appreciate your concern for the San Francisco naturalized parrot flock. Do you mind if I quickly bounce some questions off you?
1) "He has always taken care to feed them only outside of his home on the Greenwich Steps, and not to let anyone else get too close to ensure that the flock remained wild and wary of humans"
Doesn't Mark qualify as a human? Do we know enough about parrot psychology to know that, once they found one human with an unlimited supply of sunflower seeds they wouldn't attempt in investigate others?
2) "This is believed to have already happened at least once, and is likely to be repeated so long as the flock remains habituated to people."
Do you have ANY detail on this other than the fact that one bird with distinctive markings is missing? Have you been able to rule out cats or hawks or any of the other urban dangers? Do you have any numbers on the mortality rate of the flock?
3) "Hand-feeding teaches birds to be dependent on humans for sustenance, and removes their incentive to forage for wild-growing foods like berries and flower blossoms."
Mark has said:
"There are people before me, there are people now and I'm sure there will be people who will feed them after me," Bittner said. (SF Chronicle Mar 12, 1999)
Mark started hand feeding in 1993 and there is documentation that they were fed by humans for several years before that (its in the DVD extras section). So we have a documented history of 15-20 years of hand feeding. When can we expect to see the decreased foraging activity? Right now they leave their roost in foraging parties at sunrise and don't return until 5:30 PM.
4) An unbalanced diet consisting of too many seeds can also cause the parrots long-term liver damage.
I'll refer you to http://www.parrotchronicles.com:80/marchapril2003/parrotpeople.htm where you see:
"“Bittner feeds the flock nothing but sunflower seeds. He's quick to acknowledge that's not a good diet for pet birds, but correctly points out that the fatty treats are fine for wild birds because they expend so much energy.”"
I think you are ignoring the different nutritional needs of wild vs caged birds.
5) - Having unnatural access to large amounts of free seed could cause the flock to overbreed
San Francisco Chronicle, March 5, 2000, Mark said “The flock's numbers are not growing explosively, and I don't believe they ever will, as parrots are not good breeders.”.
He probably said this due to the limitation of suitable nesting habitat.
6) "Parrots can also harbor a communicable disease which causes worms to grow in the eyes and brain. This virus can be transmitted to humans through direct contact. "
The worm that had been discussed is Baylisascaris. The birds can get it from raccoon feces but once infected they serve as a paratenic host in which the worms never reach sexual maturity and don't leave the body of the bird. We checked this with the CDC and they confirmed that nothing short of eating the bird raw could possibly result in human transmission. Do your own research but you should consider publishing a retraction on this one.
7) In regards to biting, people have been feeding the parrots for awhile and yes, the bites do hurt! I'll give you that one.
I've asked these questions in a respectful and thoughtful manner and I await your explanations. Thanks!
-Jeff
Welp, Jeff, I don't think Mark posted this himself -- it says "via list" as in an email list he must have written it for.
So don't hold your breath waiting for a reply.
But if you are looking for a Q&A dialogue here, how about instead of trying to tear into other's arguments against feeding the birds you offer your 7 or so reasons why feeding wild animals is a good thing in your opinion? Since you seem interested in empirics, anything scientific you have to bolster your arguments would earn you bonus points here.
So don't hold your breath waiting for a reply.
But if you are looking for a Q&A dialogue here, how about instead of trying to tear into other's arguments against feeding the birds you offer your 7 or so reasons why feeding wild animals is a good thing in your opinion? Since you seem interested in empirics, anything scientific you have to bolster your arguments would earn you bonus points here.
Thanks Welp. I didn't understand what 'via list' meant. I also emailed Mat.
On my reasoning, I think it is a close call and there are honest, well caring people on both sides.
On the good side, for the birds they get a constant supply of fresh fruit. They get some tree fruit growing in San Francisco in the spring and early summer but it doesn't rain here after June and the trees are pretty stingy from Oct-Feb. Compared to the forests of South America it isn't a feast. Remember that these birds have beaks that are made to tear through fruit and they learned to hang from branches upside down for a reason.
In my point of view it isn't necessarily 'unnatural' for two species to work together. They often do and scientists can't always explain why. In this case the parrots seem to have an ability to charm humans out of some extra food. Nature's playbook for a species ripped from its homeland and transported thousands of miles away may include some tricks.
They also get sunflower seeds. Pet owners are told to lay off the seeds but even Mark Bittner has admitted that the free flying flocks have no trouble working off the extra fat. They eat seeds at backyard birdfeeding stations all year long but the ones handed to them are free from dampness and any resulting contamination from rodents or other visitors to the feeding station.
Some of the other points are more subjective. One is that the birds seem to really have a good time above and beyond the free food. I usually have a backpack on and they have investigated every belt and buckle while ignoring the handouts a few feet away. Some parrots will repeatedly land on my shoulder to try and bite my ear. (I hardly feed them anymore, I just go down to watch the kids smile)
The birds roost in the park anyway and during the spring they do come down low, they ignore the people and are vulnerable to poaching. But anyone who tried it this year would have been in big trouble from the other birdfeeders.
In the absence of a hard case against the feeding I have a hard time ignoring the faces of the children and their parents feeding the birds together. It is a beautiful thing and I love to hear the kids questions about the birdies.
Remember, you asked me for the good points. I could respond to issues like losing their fear of man but that isn't what you asked for.
Thanks again for your question.
-Jeff
On my reasoning, I think it is a close call and there are honest, well caring people on both sides.
On the good side, for the birds they get a constant supply of fresh fruit. They get some tree fruit growing in San Francisco in the spring and early summer but it doesn't rain here after June and the trees are pretty stingy from Oct-Feb. Compared to the forests of South America it isn't a feast. Remember that these birds have beaks that are made to tear through fruit and they learned to hang from branches upside down for a reason.
In my point of view it isn't necessarily 'unnatural' for two species to work together. They often do and scientists can't always explain why. In this case the parrots seem to have an ability to charm humans out of some extra food. Nature's playbook for a species ripped from its homeland and transported thousands of miles away may include some tricks.
They also get sunflower seeds. Pet owners are told to lay off the seeds but even Mark Bittner has admitted that the free flying flocks have no trouble working off the extra fat. They eat seeds at backyard birdfeeding stations all year long but the ones handed to them are free from dampness and any resulting contamination from rodents or other visitors to the feeding station.
Some of the other points are more subjective. One is that the birds seem to really have a good time above and beyond the free food. I usually have a backpack on and they have investigated every belt and buckle while ignoring the handouts a few feet away. Some parrots will repeatedly land on my shoulder to try and bite my ear. (I hardly feed them anymore, I just go down to watch the kids smile)
The birds roost in the park anyway and during the spring they do come down low, they ignore the people and are vulnerable to poaching. But anyone who tried it this year would have been in big trouble from the other birdfeeders.
In the absence of a hard case against the feeding I have a hard time ignoring the faces of the children and their parents feeding the birds together. It is a beautiful thing and I love to hear the kids questions about the birdies.
Remember, you asked me for the good points. I could respond to issues like losing their fear of man but that isn't what you asked for.
Thanks again for your question.
-Jeff
The supervisors have passed the ban against feeding red masked parakeets in S.F. by a vote of 10 to 1.
I don't know who took this photo on flickr or how it came about, but even if it's a joke, it's rather disturbing.
http://flickr.com/photos/gwen/430167951
http://flickr.com/photos/gwen/430167951
This is even worse! The young parrot is attempting to carry away an unsuspecting woman! Help!!
http://flickr.com/photos/gwen/430167922/in/set-72157600016147555/
http://flickr.com/photos/gwen/430167922/in/set-72157600016147555/
Too funny Alex, the bird is trying to "NAB" her, lol
I find it note worthy, but never noted in this article, that these parrots are not native.
Besides loss of habitat, non-native competition is the biggest cause of loss in species bio-diversity.
This alien parrot population presently seems small and stable, but I am concerned that factors such as global warming and feeding could increase their population. I am also concerned that their notoriety may grant them protections that may be harmful to native wildlife. None of this yet seems to be the case with these parrots, and may never be, but when non-native species become a problem, it is usually too late. Extreme caution is what is needed when it comes to alien species.
Meanwhile, what are people doing to protect some of our nearly, or possibly extinct local species, such as the Empire Cave Pseudoscorpion? That to me seems a worthy cause that I think I'm going to get more involved in.
Besides loss of habitat, non-native competition is the biggest cause of loss in species bio-diversity.
This alien parrot population presently seems small and stable, but I am concerned that factors such as global warming and feeding could increase their population. I am also concerned that their notoriety may grant them protections that may be harmful to native wildlife. None of this yet seems to be the case with these parrots, and may never be, but when non-native species become a problem, it is usually too late. Extreme caution is what is needed when it comes to alien species.
Meanwhile, what are people doing to protect some of our nearly, or possibly extinct local species, such as the Empire Cave Pseudoscorpion? That to me seems a worthy cause that I think I'm going to get more involved in.
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