Wild Parrot Found Sick In Field Warms Up In Cozy Blankets

Her mate waits outside the rescue, calling for her until she gets better.

Some farmers in Costa Rica recently spotted a bright speck in an open field. They moved closer and found a skinny scarlet macaw, weakly stumbling along.

She obviously needed help.

Hatched to Fly Free

People from a local macaw rescue, Hatched to Fly Free (HTFF), came out and brought the weak macaw into their shelter. Macaws are threatened by capture for the illegal pet trade, and because of rainforest deforestation, macaws are expected to lose up to 35 percent of their habitat over the next few decades. To help these beautiful birds survive, HTFF rescues and rehabilitates as many of them as it can, releasing them into the wild once they're strong enough.

Hatched to Fly Free

So they took the weak macaw in and warmed her up. They blended up almonds and papaya for her to eat. And they treated her for ticks and feather mites.

And soon it was obvious she felt tremendously better.

Hatched to Fly Free

"She has improved amazingly," Chris Castles, executive director of HTFF, told The Dodo, adding that she even got strong enough to be released in the outdoor aviary. "She has regained enough strength to crack open beach almonds, one of the macaws' favorite foods here in Costa Rica."

Hatched to Fly Free

Once she was in the aviary, it became clear that someone very special was waiting for her to recover.

Hatched to Fly Free

"Two days after she was placed in the outside aviary another macaw has started hanging around the aviary," Castles said. "I am fairly sure that it is her mate."

The two birds are calling back and forth to each other regularly, according to Castles. "Although she is still not strong enough to be released yet, she's made a big improvement," he said.

Hatched to Fly Free

To help her recover, and to help the rescue build a larger aviary, you can make a donation here.

Hatched to Fly Free