Current:Home > News'Tortillas save lives': Watch Texas family save orphaned baby bird named Taquito -PureWealth Academy
'Tortillas save lives': Watch Texas family save orphaned baby bird named Taquito
View
Date:2025-04-16 18:11:04
Do you have freshly warmed tortillas in your emergency survival kit? They could come in handy, as one Texas family found out earlier this month when they used one to help an orphaned baby bird.
Katie Adlong of Amarillo, Texas, found the fuzzy white ball, later identified as a Mississippi Kite, near her backyard on July 13, she told newswire Storyful.
Home surveillance camera footage shows Adlong and a friend taking a meandering walk around her yard as two men cook on the grill, warming up tortillas. Soon after, Adlong and her friend come rushing back with Adlong cupping something in her hand.
Adlong said she noticed the baby bird on the ground and couldn't see any signs of a parent or adult birds nearby. Concerned that the chick may get cold, Adlong came up with a clever solution.
“My husband and friends were grilling, so I told him to hand me a tortilla," she told Storyful. "I wrapped her in a warm tortilla to keep her warm while we waited for the wildlife people to arrive."
Video shows moment chick was wrapped
The camera footage shows Adlong doing just that, gently placing the tiny ball of downy feathers into the center of a freshly warmed white tortilla and wrapping it around the little body.
Knowing the little bird would need help from experts, the family called Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
"Rehabber Christy managed the call and inquired if they had already placed it in a box, to which they responded, 'We wrapped him in a warm tortilla,'" the center posted on its Facebook page. "There was a significant silence on Christy’s side. Following this and a little concerned, she quickly ended the call and arranged for a transporter."
Another rehabber soon arrived on location and was "welcomed by a friendly family holding a baby Mississippi Kite wrapped in a tortilla," the post continued, punctuated with a laughing emoji.
While a grilled tortilla is not a typical source of heat for growing baby birds, Wild West Wildlife said it proved an effective method for helping the orphaned bird, which they promptly and aptly named Taquito.
"Undoubtedly, it was an inventive method to keep the baby warm, and surprisingly, it was effective," the rehab center said on Facebook.
Taquito is living her best life, bringing in donations
In an update posted on Wednesday, the center said Taquito was "thriving" with help from the team of rehabbers providing round-the-clock care, including feedings every two hours from sun up to sun down.
She is maintaining a healthy appetite and is expected to remain under the care of the rehab team for approximately two months. The center has taken to selling "Tortillas Save Lives" T-shirts to help cover the cost of Taquito's care and the care of other wildlife at the rehab.
veryGood! (87)
Related
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- 2 die in Bangladesh as police clash with opposition supporters seeking prime minister’s resignation
- 5 Things podcast: Israel expands its Gaza incursion, Maine shooting suspect found dead
- 'This is Us' star Milo Ventimiglia quietly married model Jarah Mariano earlier this year
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- For parents who’ve been through shootings, raising kids requires grappling with fears
- Tarantula causes traffic collision at Death Valley National Park; biker hospitalized, officials say
- Maui police release 16 minutes of body camera footage from day of Lahaina wildfire
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- 'What you dream of': Max Scherzer returns where it began − Arizona, for World Series
Ranking
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Adam Johnson's Partner Ryan Wolfe Pens Heartbreaking Message to Ice Hockey Star After His Tragic Death
- Daniel Jones cleared for contact, and what it means for New York Giants QB's return
- This Is Us Star Milo Ventimiglia Marries Model Jarah Mariano
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Visitors will be allowed in Florence chapel’s secret room to ponder if drawings are Michelangelo’s
- Biden touting creation of 7 hydrogen hubs as part of U.S. efforts to slow climate change
- Elite Kenyan police unit goes on trial in the killing of a prominent Pakistani journalist last year
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Dorit Kemsley Grills Kyle Richards About Her Marriage Issues in Tense RHOBH Preview
Messi wins record-extending 8th Ballon d’Or, Bonmati takes women’s award
U.S. says Russia executing soldiers who refuse to fight in Ukraine
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
Two pastors worry for their congregants’ safety. Are more guns the answer or the problem?
Chase Field roof open for World Series Game 3 between Diamondbacks and Rangers
Panama’s leader calls for referendum on mining concession, seeking to calm protests over the deal