San Francisco is famous for its steep streets, iconic bridges and colorful neighborhoods. But hidden among the city’s urban landscape is another attraction that many visitors may not expect: a thriving population of wild parrots.

For years, residents have watched flocks of brightly colored cherry-headed conures flying between trees, rooftops and buildings.

One San Francisco woman has developed a particularly unusual relationship with the birds.

Known on TikTok as @shirleybirdy, she lives in a high-rise apartment that the parrots regularly visit. Over time, she began offering them food and allowing them to use her balcony as a place to land and rest.

The birds continued returning.

Then, one morning, something happened that left her emotional.

Several adult parrots arrived at her balcony accompanied by three young birds.

She interpreted the moment as the flock bringing its babies to meet her, and her reaction quickly resonated with thousands of people online.

But while the footage makes for a touching story, there is an important scientific question behind it: did the adult parrots actually bring the young birds specifically to introduce them to a familiar human?

The available evidence cannot establish that.

What is clear is that the flock has become comfortable visiting a familiar location, and the young birds were seen exploring the same space alongside adult parrots.

The Wild Parrots of San Francisco

The parrots seen around San Francisco are not native to California.

They are commonly identified as cherry-headed conures, also known as red-masked parakeets. Their natural range is in parts of South America.

San Francisco’s population is believed to have originated from birds that escaped or were released from captivity.

Over several decades, those birds established a self-sustaining population in the city.

Today, the parrots have become an unusual part of San Francisco’s urban wildlife.

They can be seen flying through neighborhoods, resting in trees and moving between different parts of the city in noisy groups.

Their presence became particularly well known through the 2003 documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, which introduced the flock to a much wider audience.

For many people, the birds have become closely associated with the city’s unique character.

They are wild animals, however, even though they live remarkably close to people.

One Balcony Became a Familiar Stop

For the woman behind @shirleybirdy, the relationship began gradually.

The flock regularly visited her high-rise building, and she started feeding the birds.

Her balcony also provided a convenient place for the parrots to land and rest.

Over time, the birds appeared increasingly comfortable using the space.

From the woman’s perspective, the repeated visits created something that felt like a relationship.

The parrots were not pets. She did not capture them, cage them or train them.

They remained free to fly away whenever they wanted.

Instead, the balcony functioned more like a familiar stop in the birds’ daily environment.

That distinction is important.

A wild animal becoming accustomed to a particular person or location does not necessarily mean it has been domesticated.

Animals living around humans can learn to recognize places associated with food, shelter or predictable environmental conditions.

The behavior can develop without the animal becoming dependent on the person.

Then Three Young Parrots Appeared

The moment that attracted the most attention happened one morning when several adult conures arrived at the balcony with three young birds.

The woman was so moved by the sight that she shared the experience online, writing that the parrots had brought her three new babies and that she cried.

A follow-up video showed two of the young birds exploring the balcony.

The juveniles appeared curious and energetic as they moved around the familiar space.

For the woman, the scene felt deeply personal.

After years of seeing the adult parrots visit, she was suddenly looking at the newest members of the flock.

To viewers, the moment was equally fascinating.

Many commenters said they had never known that San Francisco had a population of wild parrots at all.

Others were captivated by the idea that wild birds might become comfortable enough around a person to bring their young to a familiar location.

But that interpretation needs a little caution.

Did the Parrots Really Introduce Their Babies?

It is easy to describe the event as an animal family introducing its babies to a trusted human.

It certainly makes for a heartwarming story.

Scientifically, however, that conclusion goes beyond what the available footage can demonstrate.

The adult parrots may have intentionally brought the young birds to a familiar location.

But there are other possibilities.

The balcony may simply have been a familiar place where the adult birds regularly found food or felt comfortable landing. Young birds that had recently become capable of flying could naturally accompany adults as they moved through their environment.

The juveniles may also have been learning where members of their flock regularly travel.

Without observing the birds over a longer period or conducting behavioral research, it is impossible to determine exactly why the young parrots were there on that particular morning.

The safest conclusion is that the young birds were seen visiting a location already familiar to adult members of the flock.

The emotional interpretation belongs to the human observer.

Parrots Are Highly Social Birds

Part of what makes the encounter so interesting is the social nature of parrots.

Many parrot species live in groups and maintain complex social relationships.

Flocks can provide opportunities for communication, learning and coordinated movement.

Young birds can also learn by observing older members of their group.

This means that a young parrot visiting places regularly used by adults is not particularly surprising.

What makes this situation unusual is the setting.

Instead of following the flock only through trees or natural habitat, the young birds were observed exploring a human balcony in the middle of a major city.

The birds’ comfort around the location appears to have developed over repeated visits.

The Difference Between Trust and Domestication

The story also highlights an important distinction between wildlife familiarity and domestication.

A wild bird can become accustomed to a person without becoming a pet.

For example, an animal may learn that a particular person does not pose an immediate threat.

It may also associate a specific location with food or shelter.

That type of familiarity can make wildlife appear remarkably comfortable around humans.

But the animal remains independent.

The parrots in this story can still fly away, forage elsewhere and interact with the rest of their flock.

There is no indication that they have been captured or trained.

Their relationship with the woman is therefore better described as familiarity rather than domestication.

Is Feeding Wild Parrots Safe?

The story is heartwarming, but feeding wild animals is not always without risks.

The type and quantity of food matter.

Regular feeding can sometimes encourage animals to gather in unusually large numbers or become more comfortable around people than they otherwise would.

Poor food choices can also create nutritional problems.

Wildlife may naturally obtain a varied diet that is difficult to reproduce through casual feeding.

Another concern is location.

If large numbers of animals gather around homes, roads or other busy areas, the interaction can create additional risks for both wildlife and people.

This does not mean that every person who feeds a wild bird automatically causes harm.

The circumstances matter.

In this particular case, the available account describes a self-sufficient flock that continues to live freely rather than a group that depends entirely on one person.

Even so, wildlife organizations generally encourage people to approach feeding wild animals cautiously and to prioritize natural habitats whenever possible.

San Francisco’s Parrots Have Their Own Story

The presence of wild parrots in San Francisco is unusual enough that it has become part of the city’s cultural identity.

The birds are not a native species, yet generations of parrots have successfully established themselves in the urban environment.

Their story demonstrates how adaptable some animals can be.

Cities can be challenging places for wildlife, but they also contain resources that animals can use.

Trees, parks, gardens, buildings and food sources can all become part of an urban animal’s environment.

The parrots have effectively created their own place within that landscape.

Their noisy calls can sometimes be heard before the birds themselves come into view.

For residents familiar with the flock, those sounds have become part of everyday life.

Why the Story Resonated With Viewers

The video became popular because it combined several elements people naturally find fascinating.

There was the surprise of discovering that wild parrots live in San Francisco.

There was the long-term relationship between the birds and a local resident.

And there was the sight of three young parrots exploring a place that had already become familiar to adult members of the flock.

Most importantly, the story gave viewers a chance to think about the invisible relationships that can develop between people and urban wildlife.

A person may see the same birds every day without knowing where they came from or how they spend the rest of their lives.

The parrots’ repeated visits made that hidden world visible.

A Reminder to Observe Wildlife With Respect

Stories like this can inspire people to pay more attention to the animals living around them.

But observing wildlife responsibly means remembering that these animals remain wild.

The most meaningful interactions do not necessarily require touching, capturing or feeding an animal.

Sometimes simply watching from a respectful distance can reveal fascinating behavior.

In the case of San Francisco’s parrots, residents can observe how the flock moves through the city, communicates with one another and uses urban green spaces.

The birds have already demonstrated that they can thrive without becoming pets.

That independence is part of what makes them so interesting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are San Francisco’s wild parrots native to California?

No. The cherry-headed conures found in San Francisco are native to South America. The city’s population is believed to have originated from escaped or released pet birds that eventually established a self-sustaining wild population.

What kind of parrots live in San Francisco?

The flock is commonly identified as cherry-headed conures, also called red-masked parakeets.

Did the parrots really bring their babies to introduce them to the woman?

That cannot be established from the available footage. Three young birds were observed arriving with adult parrots at a balcony regularly visited by the flock, but their exact reason for being there is unknown.

Are the parrots pets?

No. The birds remain wild and are free to come and go. Becoming comfortable around a person or location does not mean that an animal has been domesticated.

Why are the parrots comfortable around people?

Repeated exposure can allow wild animals to become familiar with particular people or locations. In this case, the balcony appears to have become a familiar stop for the flock.

Is feeding wild parrots recommended?

Feeding wildlife can carry risks depending on the food, quantity, frequency and location. Poor feeding practices can contribute to nutritional problems or encourage animals to gather in unsuitable areas, so wildlife should generally be treated cautiously and respectfully.

How did San Francisco’s wild parrot population become famous?

The flock gained broad public attention through the 2003 documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, which helped introduce San Francisco’s unusual parrot population to audiences around the world.

A Wild Family That Chose a Familiar Place

For years, the woman behind @shirleybirdy watched wild parrots visit her San Francisco balcony.

She offered them food and a place where they could comfortably land, while the birds continued to live their lives freely throughout the city.

Then three young parrots appeared alongside the adults.

To the woman, it felt like an unforgettable introduction to the newest members of a flock she had come to know.

Whether the adult birds intentionally brought their young to meet her remains a mystery.

But the sight itself is still remarkable.

Three young parrots were exploring a human balcony in the middle of San Francisco, surrounded by adults that had already learned the location was familiar.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the story is not whether the parrots understood the emotional significance of the moment.

It is that, in a city filled with millions of people, a small flock of wild birds has created its own world—and for a few minutes, it allowed one person to watch that world up close.