THAT’S why he’s so friendly…
Earlier this month, as summer temperatures warmed up Chicago and restaurant patios began to buzz with activity, staff at Barcocina in the Lakeview neighborhood noticed a particularly elegant visitor: a striking white bird who made himself right at home among the diners.
At first glance, the charismatic bird resembled a dove. He was friendly, fearless, and had no problem mingling with guests — even asking for food. After a few days of charming the patio crowd, he casually strolled inside the restaurant, as if requesting a table of his own.
That’s when staff realized this feathered guest needed more than a menu — he needed help. They reached out to Famous Fido Rescue, and volunteer Tina Loustropoulos soon arrived on the scene. She found the bird delighting customers, cooing and hopping about with confidence. One look was all it took for Loustropoulos to know this was no ordinary pigeon — this was a fancy pigeon.
Gently corralled into a paper bag, the sociable bird remained engaged even on the ride to safety, poking his beak through the bag’s holes and chirping at Loustropoulos along the way.
At Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue, experts identified the bird as an oriental roller, a domestic breed known for its performance flying and affectionate nature. Volunteer Susan Jicha explained that fancy pigeons like these depend entirely on humans for care — from food and shelter to love and companionship.
“Many times these birds are set free because the owners no longer want to care for them, or they have health issues people don’t want to deal with,” Jicha said.
Without support, these birds rarely survive. But some, like the white pigeon at Barcocina, take matters into their own wings and self-rescue — seeking out humans for help.
“They find a porch, a patio, a balcony — some place that looks safe — and they just stay,” Jicha explained. “We even had a bird self-rescue in a car wash once.”
One thing was clear: “He would not have survived on his own,” Loustropoulos said.
Once safe, the rescue team gave their new friend a name fitting his sweet nature: Azúcar — Spanish for “sugar.” He quickly lived up to the name. According to a Facebook post from the rescue, Azúcar is not only sweet, but also “theatrical,” proudly fanning out his tail feathers for attention like a little performer.
Now living in a loving foster home, Azúcar has flourished. The once-lost bird has “blossomed into [a] social butterfly,” the rescue wrote. He leaps into his foster’s hands for affection, nods in conversation, and has even developed a deep love for plush toys — approaching them with the wonder of someone discovering joy for the first time.
“It’s as if he’s been waiting his whole life for someone to really listen to what he has to say,” the rescue shared. “Now that he’s found his voice, he’s making up for lost time.”