Watch: Stuck parrot rescued from third-floor San Francisco balcony
Firefighters and San Francisco Animal Care & Control freed a wild parrot whose head was stuck between glass panes on a third-floor balcony Sunday. If you want to watch the stuck parrot rescued, video shared by officials shows crews lowering a ladder and gently sliding the bird free before it flew to a nearby tree.
The incident unfolded at an under-construction building in San Francisco, where a passerby spotted the bird in distress. San Francisco Animal Care & Control said Officer Mullen responded alongside the San Francisco Fire Department after reports that the parrot could not pull its head back through the gap.
Key Takeaways
- A wild parrot spent hours with its head trapped between balcony glass panes on Sunday.
- San Francisco firefighters lowered a ladder from a rooftop to reach the third-floor balcony.
- Officer Mullen examined the bird and confirmed its wings, legs, and neck were uninjured.
- Other parrots gathered nearby and squawked after the rescue, according to officials.
How did the parrot get stuck on the San Francisco balcony?
According to San Francisco Animal Care & Control, the wild parrot was spotted with its head wedged between two panes of glass on a third-floor balcony of a building still under construction. Officials did not say exactly how the bird ended up in that position, but they noted it had been struggling for much of the day.
The situation drew a joint response from city agencies. Stories like this often land in our Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage, where unusual animal rescues regularly capture public attention.
Who rescued the parrot and how did they free it?
Officer Mullen of San Francisco Animal Care & Control worked with the San Francisco Fire Department to reach the bird. Firefighters climbed to the roof of a neighboring building and lowered a ladder down to the balcony where the parrot was trapped.
From there, rescuers were able to slide the bird upward carefully enough to free its head from between the glass panels. They wrapped the parrot in a towel and handed it to Officer Mullen for a health check before release.
Was the parrot injured after being stuck between the glass?
Officials said the parrot was fine after the ordeal. Officer Mullen checked the bird and confirmed that its wings, legs, and neck were all OK, according to a social media post from San Francisco Animal Care & Control.
Because the animal appeared healthy, Mullen released it on the scene. The department shared footage of the rescue on social media, giving viewers a chance to watch the stuck parrot rescued in real time.
What happened after the parrot was released?
After being freed, the parrot flew to a nearby tree and rested on a branch. San Francisco Animal Care & Control wrote that the bird looked tired from struggling all day but otherwise appeared healthy.
Other parrots soon gathered around the tree. Officials said they were squawking joyfully in celebration as their companion recovered from the mishap. Full details and video are available from UPI, which first reported the rescue on September 1, 2026.