A family in Amarillo, Texas, was barbecuing and swimming outside when they noticed an orphaned baby bird on the ground. The family wanted to keep the baby warm while waiting for rescuers to arrive, so they quickly wrapped her in a warm tortilla. Though the method seems unconventional, the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center called it surprisingly "effective" in this case.
In a Facebook post, the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center explained that the Adlong family contacted the wildlife center "about a possible orphaned Barn Owl" on July 14, 2024.
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A rehabber from Wild West asked the family if they had put the bird in a box, as this would help keep the bird safe while waiting for rescuers to arrive. However, the family didn't have a box, so they quickly thought of another way to keep the baby bird warm and safe — wrapping her in a warm tortilla.
Katie Adlong, 36, told The Guardian that she "wrapped my little bird in the warm tortilla and swaddled him up."
"That’s all I had," Katie told the outlet. At first, rescuers were "a little concerned," but when they arrived at the location, they found "a friendly family holding a baby Mississippi Kite wrapped in a tortilla."
On July 16, the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center shared an update. While the family initially thought the baby bird could be a barn owl, she was later identified as a Mississippi kite and "affectionately named 'Taquito'" after being rescued with the help of a tortilla, Wild West shared.
Taquito has a "healthy appetite" and in a July 24 update, the organization shared that she is "thriving."
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Baby Taquito has also become a bit of an internet celebrity, and due to her popularity, the organization created a "Tortillas Save Lives" T-shirt fundraiser to help "contribute to supporting Taquito and other animals in our care."
Reflecting on the unconventional rescue story, Wild West wrote, "Undoubtedly, it was an inventive method to keep the baby warm, and surprisingly, it was effective."
"Wildlife Rescue is always filled with lively and unexpected moments," the organization added.
Katie told The Guardian that Taquito's story is "heartwarming and exciting" for her. "All we wanted was to save this baby and make sure it had a long, healthy life," she told the outlet.
Wild West told KHOU 11 that local animal rescuers are currently dealing with a "huge undertaking" because of the large number of animals injured during Hurricane Beryl.
"But with an amazing village, we can do big things," Wild West told the outlet.
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