The famous flock of cherry-headed conures — the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill — has called San Francisco home for decades, and spotting them remains one of the few genuinely delightful things you can do in this city that costs absolutely nothing and involves zero interaction with a government agency.

So where do you find them? The answer, as one local put it bluntly, is that "they're wild animals — they don't really work that way." Fair enough. But there are solid bets.

Telegraph Hill is ground zero. Walk up to Coit Tower, hit the staircases, and keep your ears open. As that same resident noted, "You'll hear them before you see them. They make an ungodly racket." Midday seems to be prime time around the hill.

Ina Coolbrith Park on Russian Hill is another reliable spot. Sue Bierman Park and Ferry Park near the Embarcadero are good for morning and evening sightings — though as one SF resident warned, "they blend into trees pretty well, so you may have to look for movement to spot them."

Lafayette Park, the Presidio, and Alamo Square round out the list. One local reports seeing them near the Alamo Square tennis courts and playground "almost daily."

The universal advice? Listen first, look second. Their screech is unmistakable — a chaotic, tropical racket that sounds completely out of place in a fog-soaked city, which is precisely what makes it wonderful.

In a town that can't seem to build a bus shelter without a multi-year environmental review, it's refreshing that a bunch of bright green parrots just showed up one day and made themselves at home — no approval process required. They might be the most libertarian residents San Francisco has ever had.