In the world of the documentary, I suppose you could call 2005 the Year of the Bird. I can't speak for the Chinese calender, but I can speak for documentaries – and when it came to documentaries and the mainstream, birds, if you'll pardon the expression, ruled the roost. The graceful images of Winged Migration captured the attention of critics and the public early in the year, garnering rave reviews and much acclaim. Hot on the talons of the immensely popular March of the Penguins, by the time mid-year rolled around America was positively fascinated with beaks and wings and feathers. Birds were it.

Very quietly doing more than merely holding its own was The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, a quaint, charming real life fairy tale about a man and the birds in his life that succeeded beyond its makers' wildest expectations. With success driven almost purely through positive word of mouth – there was no media blitz here as there was for Penguins - Wild Parrots managed to be the fifth highest grossing documentary of 2005, beating out big hitters like Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster, and stepped up to become the third highest grossing nature documentary of all time.

And you've probably never heard of it.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill tells the story of Mark Bittner, a somewhat eccentric San Francisco man living in the semi-wooded Telegraph Hill section of the city. An out of work musician, Mark's days revolve in large part (or at least they did) around a flock of more than 40 wild parrots that have taken refuge near his apartment. He has names for the parrots – Pushkin, Sophie, Picasso, Connor, Sonny, and Mingus are just a few of the more personable birds – feeds them, observes them, watches their lives unfold, and for the people that visit the site of the wild parrot flock, acts as the public face of the birds. The documentary is somewhat based on Bittner's book of the same name and, like the book, it is the story of the birds via Mark, and Mark's story via the birds. We watch as the birds live, die, find mates, have their lives tragically interrupted by predatory birds, and delight onlookers. Mark is there for it all, guiding us through the experience and finding his own life changed by their presence.

Despite the feathery title, Mark is in many ways a more integral part of the Wild Parrots story than the actual birds. The documentary is a tale not simply of the birds' ups and downs, but more importantly of his ups and down. He is the moral center of the parrots' story. The human avatar through which we experience their trials and tribulations.

If it all sounds rather quaint, maybe even a bit twee, well, it is. It's all very cute and wholesome and warm. Almost saccharine. Cutting edge and hard-hitting this isn't ... but then, it doesn't need to be, because The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill works wonderfully for what it is: A charming story so far removed from the hectic grind of day-to-day life it feels like a fairy tale. It's just the kind of thing that a family can enjoy together. The youngest children will delight in the birds' antics and the bright, colorful look of the film; the adults will get caught up in the twists life brings Mark Bittner; and both will find that they're more caught up in the “characters” than they expected.

Presentation
Bright and colorful and warm, The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is awash in reds and greens, popping off the screen like a pastel coloring book. This being a documentary, the footage varies in quality from occasional shaky home movies to richly colored photography. All in all, a fine looking transfer that ought to look especially nice on high end televisions.

The sound is equally bright, colorful and warm. The soundtrack is vaguely familiar, like something from a 70's children's show. Somehow, it fits. Though this is a documentary, the dialogue is always crisp and clear. Heck, it even has Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, a surprising but welcome feature. No complaints.

Extras
The folks at Docudrama put together a really spectacular package for this DVD release, positively swimming – or flying, as it were - with extras. We've got flock updates for those interested in what became of the titular parrots after the end of the film. A series of deleted scenes show off what was left on the cutting room floor. Some Mark Bittner home movies give us a peek into the state of the flock before director Judy Irving arrived with her cameras. A short film called California Quail is included, as well as bits on urban legends, a tribute to Connor, an update on Mingus, a music video, and other bits. It's a surprisingly full package, making this an excellent bang for your buck DVD.

The Bottom Line  
I usually watch DVDs I'm going to review alone at night after my family has gone to bed, ensuring I'm distraction-free. In this case, I opted to make a family experience out of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I'm glad I did. It was a wonderful experience that tossed aside too-easy cynicism in exchange for humanity and warmth. This isn't a “nature documentary” in the strictest sense of the term. You're not going to walk away educated. But unless you're tragically cynical, you just may come away with a smile on your face. Highly recommended for families.