Alberto, is a Jabiru stork also known locally in Peru as a Tuyuyo – now that’s fun to say! The species name comes from the Guarani language and means “swollen neck” as these birds are able to inflate their air sacs at will. These are one of the largest birds in the Americas standing 5ft tall and with a wingspan of over 8ft they are the largest flying bird in South America.
The expansion of the air sack communicates excitement/eagerness to other birds – an important expression for an almost silent bird. With no songs, Alberto relies on tapping his beak at different rhythms to get his point across – often a “feed me” plea. Two individuals will turn to one another, face to face, hold their necks upright, and quickly clack/rattle their beaks together. These are social birds, this is a crucial act of bonding that helps develop relationships between each other.
Alberto is a young juvenile male Tuyuyo and is a victim of unsuccessful hunting. When he arrived at Pilpintuwasi about a year and a half ago, he had been shot and still has shrapnel remains in his back to this day. We are very grateful that the remnants do not seem to inhibit his ability to move his wings thus far.
Alberto is recovering and growing up wonderfully. He is quite the happy bird and always clacks in excitement at the arrival of fish. However, as much as we try to give him the best life he can, none will ever be as good as returning to the wild. Alberto deserves to have a full life outside of a cage and in his natural habitat.
We already have the documents needed to legally release Alberto back into the wild. However in order to do so, he first needs to strengthen his flying muscles and learn how to fly. He is still young and is at the age right now where he would be practicing flying if he were in the wild, but unfortunately, his juvenile cage is not big enough for him to stretch out his wings and learn. In order to rewild Alberto, he needs a large aviary with enough space to learn how to fly and hunt his own food.
This aviary would immensely help not only with the rewilding of Alberto, but this space will continue to be used after Alberto’s release by other rescue birds that are recovering from their own respective injuries and learning how to fly. For example, one of our blue & gold macaws Pepe is recovering from numerous injuries, but once his flight feathers grow back he will also need a large space to strengthen his muscles and learn how to fly. This aviary is critical in the rewilding of numerous of our rescue birds.
Please donate at our gofundme to support the construction of a new bigger and better aviary for Alberto (and in the future others), so that one day he may be wild once more.
Alberto did not deserve the treatment that he received from such a young age and does not deserve to spend the rest of his life in a cage. This species has an average recorded lifespan of 30 years – he does not deserve a life sentence. He deserves to live in the wild. Please support him and join the #FreeAlberto movement today as we work to rewild and release him.
