Reunited and It Feels So Good!
On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, a crestfallen Jessica Juarez thought that she’d seen the last of her beloved bird, Taco, who had flown through a window of her twelfth-floor apartment in student housing at 7:30 a.m.
Security officer Waleska Quintana with Taco and Jessica Juarez
“It was very warm in the apartment, so I had cracked the window open a notch,” she explained. “He dove straight outside and flew toward the rooftop basketball court, and though I ran outside, I wasn’t able to see where he’d gone from there.”
Because she was beginning a new clerkship rotation, Jessica had to leave. She quickly posted on Facebook and messaged some friends, who helped to search for Taco while she was in clinic. Although she’d only had her two-month-old parakeet for a few weeks, the third-year M.D. student had formed a strong bond with her friendly bird.
She said, “Taco is my study buddy. He hangs out on my shoulder while I’m studying, and he’s very cuddly. And he chirps nonstop.”
The Power of Community
Jessica posted about her lost bird on Facebook, hoping Taco would be found and taken in to safety.
After returning from clinic, Jessica sought further help online, seeking information on finding a lost bird and pages for lost pets. “There was a page specific to the Bronx,” she said. She posted photos of Taco and was shocked by the number of shares and attention the post received.
“I got messages from people in the neighborhood who said they were on the lookout, walking around with food, and placing bread in their yard. It was so amazing how the community got together.”
Still, a day passed and there was no sign or news of Taco.
Fortunately, though, luck was in the air along with the little parakeet that had taken flight. And, as Neil Kaplan, Einstein's chief of security, likes to say, “If it was lost on campus, we have it.”
That proved true in Taco’s case. A little more than 24 hours after escaping, the homesick parakeet decided apartment dwelling wasn’t so bad. He flitted onto the shoulder of Waleska Quintana, a security officer at the Belfer building, right across Morris Park Avenue from his home.
Taco’s Einstein Flock
While trying to determine who the sweet parakeet might belong to, security called Larry Herbst, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of Einstein’s Institute for Animal Studies, to come take a look at the little bird, to make sure he was healthy and uninjured. Dr. Herbst, who was stuck in traffic, asked his colleague Maritza Arce, a senior veterinary tech, to go check on the bird.
Something about a missing parakeet seemed familiar to Maritza; she had seen a Facebook post by Jessica earlier in the morning. When she arrived to examine the bird, she mentioned the post to Kathy Campbell, administrator for security, who promptly located the post and messaged Jessica.
It turned out that Taco had done very well during his night on the town. Maritza’s careful examination of him found no injuries, and he passed the B.A.R. test – being bright, alert, and responsive. His posture was also normal, with his wings held in a normal position, so he received a clean beak of health.
“There’s a lot that can get to a little bird like Taco,” noted Larry. “The cold and rain, cats, birds of prey, and even traffic posed a danger to him.”
In fact, the night prior to Taco’s excellent adventure, temperatures had dipped below freezing. “I almost lost hope,” recalled Jessica. “I had no idea what sort of dangers were out there, and I just hoped that someone could find him and take him in.”
Also pitching in to make Taco comfortable while he waited for Jessica to retrieve him were Celeste Broquadio and Margie Salmone, from epidemiology & population health, who brought a mesh-patterned garbage can for use as a temporary bird cage. A matching cup served as a perch for the perky parakeet as he hung out beneath the upside down trash bin. Anne Marie Dean, from the dean’s office, brought some food for him as well.
A Cheerful Reunion
Home Tweet Home: Taco back with Jessica in their apartment
While in clinic on Wednesday, January 25, Jessica received Kathy’s message on Facebook at about 11:30 a.m. It was accompanied by a photo and the last three words asked, “Is this Taco???” Jessica replied with a resounding “Yes!!!”
Jessica and Taco were soon reunited at Einstein's security office, where the bird chirped his thanks to Waleska and the security staff, after earning unofficial mascot status.
As Jessica and Taco posed with Waleska for photos of their reunion, Neil observed, “Taco is an intuitive parakeet, smart enough to know that security could help.”
Have you lost an item on campus? Be sure to check with the security office, which maintains a lost and found. Your item might just be among those they have on hand, awaiting their owner to check and reclaim them.
Post-Reunion Update: Jessica reported that Taco was in a bit of shock after they got back home and was quiet and tired for a while. But he quickly regained his energy and is now back to his normal outgoing self. She thanks all who helped to make Taco comfortable and cared for him until they could reunite.
Posted on: Wednesday, February 01, 2023