The spirit of the parrots

The Paquedad of Paco

The episode of Paco's rescue summarizes the greatness of this story: after so many losses and reunions, the parrot’s life ends up protected in the hands of environmental authorities. That arrival —police forcing the door open, a rescue team examining the bird and guaranteeing his transfer to a semi-free environment— confirms that freedom can and must be built from collective responsibility. It is not just a legal triumph: it is the first time Paco stops being a hostage of human vengeance to become a subject of rights.

Throughout the story, the human-animal connection remains unbreakable. Paco senses the author's sadness, protects her from deceit, defends Simón with pecks, and ultimately inspires mother and son to practice “paquedad”: loving in freedom. That complicity shows that empathy knows no species; it is a bridge strengthened through everyday gestures —a gentle grooming, a Lego piece between the beak— and reaches its climax when the child hugs the trembling bird after the attempted killing.

Paco’s transfer by professionals embodies hope: the family healed their own story by giving him to a suitable habitat, and he, with his broken wing but intact spirit, becomes a symbol that caring also means knowing how to let go.

Author: Natalia Plumaverde (pseudónimo)

Country, City: Colombia - Medellín

Date: 2025-05-21

Woven Feathers, Eternal Spirits, Green Destiny

We are left with the image of the grandfather and grandmother hastily planting trees, convinced that the forest had to grow at the same pace as the parrot’s wing healed. That decision —to plant first, release later— turns the farm into a living refuge: the bird finds oranges, mangoes, and guavas just as it begins to test its wings again. What we see is a kind of freedom that is accompanied, almost agreed upon between species, rather than an impulsive escape.

We are also moved by the invisible current that links the parrot and Carolina. On the day of the birth, his strange squawk summons the midwife as if he sensed what was at stake; years later, the scene repeats when the bird lands on the teenager’s shoulder and recognizes her without hesitation. We then understand that true domestication happened in reverse: it was the parrot who adopted the family.

We also come to see that loving is not about holding on, but about caring until the other is ready to go. The blue hammock where the bird takes refuge before departing, and the trees that continue to bear fruit decades later, are traces of that love that sets free rather than confines. In the end, we are inspired by Carolina turning these memories into art: perhaps her murals will do what those guava trees once did —prepare more places where parrots, and those who care for them, can feel free.

Author: Carolina Mesa Trujillo

Country, City: Colombia - Medellín

Date: 2025-05-20

The Flight of Lulú

Lulú’s story reveals two sides of our relationship with wildlife. On one hand, it shows the power of empathy: a small, injured parrot was welcomed with patience, without forcing her trust, and with open spaces instead of cages. Those yellow gloves, the bananas offered, and the beak kisses reflect the best of human care when it’s guided by respect for nature.

But the story also exposes the risks of improvisation: Lulú lived isolated from her flock, confined between walls and broken windows. Her final leap—from the clothesline to the highest wall—was a courageous act we applaud, but also a leap into the unknown, with no release plan or natural environment nearby. The thrill of seeing her fly was mixed with uncertainty about her fate.

A clear lesson emerges from this tale: rescuing and caring for a wild bird requires more than good intentions. It’s essential to ensure a suitable habitat, the company of its own species, and a gradual reintegration process. Only then does the act of love transcend the moment and truly honor the freedom we intend to give. Within Lulú lies the hope that every flight ends not in risk, but in a full and thriving life.

Author: Chris Valderrama

Country, City: Colombia - Medellín

Date: 2025-05-23

Azul was left alone

The story of Azul offers, above all, the power of empathy and respect for wildlife. His silent voice, left alone in that tile hollow, reminds us that each lovebird is an individual with emotions, routines, and shared memories. In narrating his patient wait and nervous flight toward a window where only millet was found, the author recovers the “art of waiting without demanding” and the value of “not possessing” a living being.

Azul also teaches us the limits of our intervention: it was the narrator who chose not to cage him, who learned to understand his call and to offer him food without forcing. That mutual trust, built on constant presence, shows that responsible care is not to retain, but to accompany the instinct for freedom.

Author: Andrés Perez Álvares

Country, City: Colombia - Medellín

Date: 2025-05-22

Chorus of Macaws

Rina’s story shows that even the best intentions can become entangled in cages, but also that it’s never too late to find her true community. For years, she lived with humans who loved her, learned her name, and celebrated her cleverness. Yet nothing could replace the nest of her own kind.

When she finally arrived at the zoo, her fate took on a hopeful shade: she no longer shared confinement with dogs and people, but with other macaws. That cage near the lake became a collective playground, where her cries were answered and her songs blended into a living chorus. Had she remained alone, her intelligence and vitality might have withered in solitude; reunited with her peers, she regained at least a glimpse of her natural life.

It’s interesting to think that many captive macaws “talk” because they receive smiles and applause whenever they mimic human words. That reinforcement leads them to repeat sounds to connect with us. But in full freedom, little by little, they stop “talking”: they no longer need to, as they communicate through subtler calls, gestures, and synchronized flights.

Not all birds, however, can return to that ideal state of full freedom. Returning to the forest carries risks — predators, lack of skills to find food, or unfamiliarity with the territory — and they often lack the preparation and structure needed to survive.

Rina never reclaimed the jungle, but she found authentic companionship: she learned to fly in a group, to share branches, and to form bonds with other macaws. Her journey reminds us that when caring for a wild bird, the most valuable thing is not preventing human loneliness, but ensuring it finds the embrace of its own community. Because in the end, a parrot among its kind sings louder than any gilded cage.

Author: Carlos Andrés Paniagua Delgado

Country, City: Colombia - Medellín

Date: 2025-05-25

Socrates, the Parrot of Palermo Street

The story of Socrates, the parrot from Palermo Street, is not just a compelling narrative about a crime and its mysterious context. It is also a deep and symbolic portrait of the way in which animals have historically been silenced by a culture determined to consider non-humans as inferior beings, incapable of judgment, emotion, or truth.

In this story, a parrot—an innocent repeater of a heartbreaking phrase—becomes the only witness to a murder. However, his testimony is called into question precisely because it comes from an animal. That scene resonates with a painful question: how many truths have we ignored simply because we did not know how (or did not want) to listen to those who do not speak our language?

Human justice, based on logos, on rational and structured speech, often forgets that there are other ways of saying, of feeling, and of remembering. The cry repeated by Socrates is, in essence, the echo of a conscience that does not distinguish between species. His phrase is not a mechanical babble: it is a cry of memory, an act of loyalty, even of love.

This parrot confronts us with the arrogance of anthropocentrism, with our tendency to assume that moral value and the right to be heard belong only to those who can articulate a defense in human terms. And yet, in his astonished gaze and in his repeated phrase, Socrates reminds us that injustice needs no translation.

Perhaps the real crime was not only the death of Damián, but also the silence imposed on Socrates. Because denying the voice of those who do not speak like us is to perpetuate a system of domination that marginalizes all beings who feel, remember, and love.


The story of Socrates, the parrot from Palermo Street, is not just a compelling narrative about a crime and its mysterious context. It is also a deep and symbolic portrait of the way in which animals have historically been silenced by a culture determined to consider non-humans as inferior beings, incapable of judgment, emotion, or truth.

In this story, a parrot—an innocent repeater of a heartbreaking phrase—becomes the only witness to a murder. However, his testimony is called into question precisely because it comes from an animal. That scene resonates with a painful question: how many truths have we ignored simply because we did not know how (or did not want) to listen to those who do not speak our language?

Human justice, based on logos, on rational and structured speech, often forgets that there are other ways of saying, of feeling, and of remembering. The cry repeated by Socrates is, in essence, the echo of a conscience that does not distinguish between species. His phrase is not a mechanical babble: it is a cry of memory, an act of loyalty, even of love.

This parrot confronts us with the arrogance of anthropocentrism, with our tendency to assume that moral value and the right to be heard belong only to those who can articulate a defense in human terms. And yet, in his astonished gaze and in his repeated phrase, Socrates reminds us that injustice needs no translation.

Perhaps the real crime was not only the death of Damián, but also the silence imposed on Socrates. Because denying the voice of those who do not speak like us is to perpetuate a system of domination that marginalizes all beings who feel, remember, and love.

Author: Diógenes de Sínope

Country, City: Colombia - Medellín

Date: 2025-05-25

Spread Your Wings

The story of “Spread Your Wings” reminds us that the bond between humans and birds is born from wonder and affection, but it should never become a sentence. In his childhood, the author experienced heartbreaking losses: little parrots drowned, crushed—victims of innocent games or avoidable accidents. From that pain grew a yearning for catharsis—modeling birds in clay—and later, as an adult, a true celebration when the mango trees in the yard attracted flocks.

His romance with a young bird-loving woman culminated in a rescue: together they called the environmental authority to set a blue macaw free. It was a triumph rooted in collaboration, not whim. The image of the wooden bird—with wings that flap when the crank is turned—evokes a freedom earned through patience and commitment.

Lessons Learned

Parrots are not gifts or toys, and children pose a very high risk to parrots if not closely supervised. At Fundación Loros, we’ve heard many stories of parrots dying in the hands of children, treated unknowingly as toys—or lost to mistakes and negligence.

Reporting and taking action (through environmental authorities and professional rescue) is the ethical path to protect these species.

In the end, birds belong to the jungle, the forest: their place is the sky and the foliage, not cages nor our whims.

Author: Nachoescribe

Country, City: Colombia - Ibagué

Date: 2025-05-25

The Second Chance of Lilo

The story of Lilo and Laura illustrates the transformative power of empathy and compassion in the human-animal relationship. When Laura finds Lilo, an injured and exhausted parakeet who had crashed into the Emergency Room window, she chooses to take responsibility for his care despite the challenges: visits to veterinarians unwilling to treat wild animals, sleepless nights, and the desire to protect him from loneliness. This commitment reveals Laura’s sensitivity: she doesn’t see the little bird as a trophy or merely as a pet, but as a vulnerable being who deserves a second chance.

By offering him shelter, food, and affection, Laura helps rebuild Lilo’s life—but she also learns from him. She recalls her own moments of fragility (such as her cerebral thrombosis) and realizes that both of their stories are rooted in support and recovery. Yet Lilo asserts his own will: after months of healing, he becomes determined to spread his wings and fly again. This unmistakable sign leads Laura to seek official channels—a foundation, Corpomag’s wildlife specialists—to hand the parakeet over to experienced professionals. It marks the beginning of an assisted release process, born not from the mere emotion of setting him free, but from a plan to ensure his return to the wild is safe and successful.

In the end, Lilo’s joy in flying freely not only confirms Laura’s decision, but also awakens in her an ethical conviction: wild animals do not belong in our cages—they deserve to return to their natural habitats. The story teaches us that true love lies in respecting the nature of the other, and that offering a “second chance” means responsibly supporting the journey of recovery and reintegration.

Author: Laura Sánchez

Country, City: Colombia - Santa Marta

Date: 2025-05-27

My dad is not a macaw

When Fernanda, the rehabilitated macaw, perched on Alberto's arm, the scene was enough to highlight a contrast: a bird that regains her flight beside a man who had known confinement due to an armed mistake. Watching them, the question arises without dramatics:

“If a person, even after making mistakes, sees prison as the worst punishment, why do we normalize the same sentence for a wild animal?”

The reflection is straightforward. Caging a parrot, even with good intentions, replicates the punitive logic we reject when it falls upon humans. In contrast, the process that led Fernanda from the cage to the forest shows a more coherent path: rescue, rehabilitate, release. The goal is not to provide domestic entertainment, but to restore the species’ ecological role and autonomy.

In the end, Fernanda takes flight and disappears among the yarumo trees. No greater sentiment is needed to draw the conclusion: respecting the freedom of other beings is part of an ethic that, if applied in time, prevents us from repeating with wildlife the same mistakes we've made with one another.

Author: Yeraldilsa Gamboa Suárez

Country, City: Colombia - Santander

Date: 2025-05-25

Birds Don’t Go to Heaven

Pepe's story exudes tenderness: the author shows great empathy in understanding that his feathered companion was not an object, but a being with its own voice and longing to fly. He learned to accompany him without caging his spirit, to read his silences, and to respect his timing. That quiet presence, so full of love, is undoubtedly the most valuable part of this story.

However, Pepe’s “release” raises unsettling questions. Letting him go in an unfamiliar place, without ensuring the presence of other parrots or the resources he would need to survive, seems more like an impulsive act than a conscious rescue. Did he find his flock? Did he get lost among inhospitable paths? That leap into the unknown may have become an unnecessary risk, reducing the dignity of his flight to a cruel uncertainty.

The contrast between the warmth of companionship and the improvisation of his release reminds us that the true care of wildlife requires planning: assessing habitats, ensuring social groups, and anticipating post-release support. Only then does the gesture of love transcend the moment and honor the freedom we seek to give.

Pepe and his guardian teach us that empathizing is beautiful, but that release also demands responsibility. True love calls the soul of the bird to soar in new skies, yes, but with strengthened wings and an environment ready to receive it. Otherwise, we risk mistaking an act of love for a gesture of abandonment.

Author: Natalia Vanesa Sanchez Pianeta

Country, City: Colombia - Cartagena

Bird species: Reserva forestal Villanueva

Date: 2025-05-24

On the Other Side of Love

Marco Polo entered the kitchen like a breath of wild life: his plumage and curiosity awakened in the narrator a new sensitivity, based on patience, respect, and care without bars. By dedicating time and presence, they learned that true companionship does not confine, but accompanies the instinct to fly.

However, his former captivity reveals a social wound: no parrot should live isolated behind bars, separated from its mate and its essence. The story calls us to value the freedom of every bird, to question captivity, and to promote spaces where parrots can fly without chains or loneliness.

Author: Esneider Giraldo Martínez

Country, City: Colombia - Medellín

Date: 2025-05-25

Fermín Taught Us to Fly

Fermín’s story begins with an improvised rescue and ends with a lesson in shared freedom. The good happens right away: a young girl sees the neglect, steps in, and convinces her family to take the parrot in. That spontaneous act of empathy prevents Fermín from being forgotten, and at the same time, opens a crack in the routine of a disconnected home. When they move to the Tisquesusá neighborhood —with a large yard, trees, and open sky— everyone discovers that the well-being of a bird can transform human dynamics: mom keeps working, but the atmosphere softens; dad talks more; the brother finds room to play; and the girl stops feeling lonely. The open cage becomes a daily symbol of trust: Fermín flies, returns, and through his example, teaches that true bonds require no bars.

The sad part lies in the origin: Mrs. Carmen’s loneliness and her children’s indifference reveal how urban isolation traps both people and animals. Moreover, Fermín’s relocation —though well-intentioned— temporarily replicates another cage and overlooks the option of a professional rehabilitation center. However, the story redirects that mistake: when they open the gate, the family realizes that true salvation lies in giving space… and in freeing themselves from the invisible prison of hurry and habit.

Author: Sol Hannah Plazas Alguirre

Country, City: Colombia - Cundinamarca

Date: 2025-05-27