Very sad today to report that Mark Bittner has died. Mark was and is a great inspiration to me and so many others; I very much doubt that I would have founded this site and done any “wild Brooklyn parrot safaris” had he not been in this world.
As his official site notes, “Through his writing, music, and the story of the Telegraph Hill parrots, Mark reminded us all to slow down, pay attention, and find meaning in the overlooked corners of life. His work created a community of kindred spirits who saw the world a little differently because of him.”
Myself and Alison Evans-Fragale, Diane West, and a few friends were lucky enough to catch up with Mark and Judy Irving back in 2007 and he graciously granted us an interview about his work, which you can view below.
We will all miss you very much, Mark. You can find Judy Irving’s wonderful film, “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,” on many streaming services.