life

Taquito the bird saved by tortillas

Katie Adlong, from Amarillo, rescued a fallen Mississippi Kite chick, swaddling it in a warm tortilla.

Published July 29, 2024 at 4:23pm by Mary Walrath-Holdridge

Texas Woman Uses Warm Tortilla to Rescue Orphaned Bird, Now Named Taquito

A fuzzy white ball, later identified as a Mississippi Kite, found a warm savior in a Texas family and a soft tortilla.

Amarillo, Texas — A creative Texas family used a warmed tortilla to save an orphaned baby bird. The rescue was captured on home surveillance footage on July 13 and later shared by local news outlets.

Katie Adlong, the bird's savior, noticed the bird while walking in her backyard with a friend. The video shows Adlong rushing back with the tiny bird cupped in her hands.

I told him to hand me a tortilla. I wrapped her in a warm tortilla to keep her warm while we waited for the wildlife people to arrive. — Katie Adlong via Storyful

Adlong and her husband then contacted Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for further assistance. The bird was aptly named Taquito, and it is now thriving under the care of the rehabilitation team.

The center is selling "Tortillas Save Lives" t-shirts to help cover Taquito's care and that of other wildlife.

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