Texas family saves baby bird by wrapping it in warm tortilla

A family in Amarillo saved a baby bird they found in their backyard while swimming by wrapping it in a warm tortilla.

The family was enjoying an afternoon in their backyard while grilling and swimming when they noticed a bird on the ground.

The family first thought it was a barn owl when they contacted the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for help.

A rescuer at the center asked the family if they had already put it in a box to which the family replied, "We wrapped him in a warm tortilla."

When the family initially noticed the bird on the ground and no other birds in the area, the mother was concerned about the bird's safety and temperature and asked for someone to warm up a tortilla on the grill to wrap it in.

The rescuer at the center scheduled a transport to the family's home to pick up the bird and take it to the rehabilitation center.

The Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center said they were greeted by a friendly family holding a baby Mississippi kite in a flour tortilla. A response that was met with silence.

Mississippi Kites are small birds of prey and long-winged raptors.

The center said the inventive method was effective and the hatchling is now in the care of the the rehabilitation facility.

Despite all the name ideas posted on Facebook, WWWRC tells NBC 5 the bird is a female affectionately named "Taquito."

Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit that runs solely on donations to care for more than 3,000 animals annually.

The center said Taquito's care will include ordering insects and frozen pinkie mice to feed the baby bird over the next two months.

Earlier this week KAMR-TV reported that the center was caring for more than 100 orphaned or injured animals displaced by Hurricane Beryl. A wildlife center in the Houston area sent WWWRC 95 egrets and 17 doves. Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine helps with their care.