We know that it’s customary for crows to leave what appear to be “gifts”—shiny metal bits, buttons, marbles, or even lost jewelry—for the humans they bond with. However, the reason why they do so is often under debate. The romantics say it’s an act of reciprocity and friendship, while their more cynical counterparts argue that it’s an act of “manipulation” to get us to do what they want, i.e., leave food.
However, you read stories like this, and you can’t help but believe in the former.
A neighborhood rescue mission takes flight
British Columbia-based Leah Wilson noticed a murder of crows in her neighborhood “dive-bombing” and “circling” a nearby house. Apparently, a member of their murder had gotten stuck in the house’s rain gutter.
Without a ladder long enough to reach the poor bird, Wilson knew she had to act fast to get help. Luckily, she spotted a fire truck a couple of blocks away, and raced over to get help.
“I was like, ‘Hey, you look like you wanna save a crow today!’” Wilson recalled in laughter with CTV News.
An unexpected bond forms
Once rescued from the rain gutter, Wilson drove the crow to an animal rehabilitation center. As she drove, the little guy “latched on” to her finger, a moment she noted felt “life-changing.”
She wouldn’t know how life-changing it really was until a few days later. After the crow had been released to the wild, a “thank-you gift” showed up near her feet. Then another, and another.
The crow’s gifts keep coming
From a feather bundle, to a stick shaped like an axe, to a sprig of moss, crows have left more than half a dozen items. And with each new item, Wilson feels a renewed sense of gratitude.
“It feels so good,” Wilson shared as a few crows swoop near her along every block. “It’s like visiting my friends every morning and knowing they’re going to be there.”
This includes regular visits from the very crow who started it all, whom Wilson can recognize thanks to the metal band on his leg. “He’s the highlight of my day.”
A cultural connection to the natural world
Wilson would also mention that she is “Métis,” which is a distinct group of Indigenous peoples in western Canada (before it was Canada, of course) born from the European fur traders and First Nations women in the 18th century. The community places a high value on family, kinship networks, and a deep, spiritual connection to the land and seasonal harvesting cycles.
Wilson explained that her culture meant growing up with “understanding the importance of having a relationship with the natural world.” And it certainly tracks with her biggest takeaway with all this.
“When we are aware of what is happening around us there is so much potential to come together and beautiful things can happen.”
Wise words to live by, indeed.
