Little Girl + Crows = Friendship
This sweet story is about a little girl and her new friends…the crows. Who would have guessed such a relationship could have developed? But never underestimate the power of children and who is drawn to their love. Even the birds recognize her act of kindness and repay her the best way they know how.
It all started about 4 years ago, when Gabi Mann was your average four-year-old little girl playing in her backyard. And as she ran around her yard in Seattle, WA with her ‘happy meals’ in hand, she would occasionally drop a nugget here and a french fry there.
The crows who made their homes in the nearby trees would swoop in and pick up the stray snacks, learning that Gabi’s yard was a good place to visit. Eventually, the birds started keeping an eye out for the rambunctious little food dispenser.
When Gabi noticed them hanging out and waiting for her to drop food, she started doing it on purpose. The crows rewarded this behavior with more attention, and Gabi rewarded their attention with more food.
Two years ago, Gabi and her mother Lisa started feeding the crows as part of their daily routine. Fresh water in the birdbath, peanuts on the bird feeder, handfuls of dog food strewn about the grass. The crows came to rely on this food. To genuinely appreciate it. And it wasn’t long before the gifts started appearing.
Buttons and beads, nuts and bolts, metal balls and Lego pieces. Gabi keeps the thank you gifts she’s received from her crow friends like pieces of treasure, neatly catalogued inside plastic bags inside a segmented storage container.
“It’s showing me how much they love me,” Gabi, now eight-years-old, explains.
These tiny, usually colorful or shiny gifts are left behind by the crows after they clear the bird feeder of the food left out for them. Ornithologist and author of the book Gifts of the Crow, John Marzluff has heard many similar stories of humans bonding with crows and being rewarded for their generosity.
According to Marzluff, crows regularly collect bright, shiny objects, so it’s always possible that these objects, so much as possessions, were left behind after the crows were finished eating.
Way to go, Gabi! Your sweet love for the birds is clearly appreciated and the feeling seems to be mutual! Keep up the good work! You are doing your part in taking care of God’s creatures, big and small!
For another sweet story about taking care of God’s creatures, click here!
HT Distractify
Featured Image Credit: Youtube