This is a heart warming story of orphaned crows who were rescued by a veterinarian and her family one summer after their nest fell out of a tree near their home. The property owner put the nest back in the tree but the parents did not return after several hours. He called Kristy, a local veterinarian with a soft heart and a reputation for helping any animal in need. She sent her husband to watch the nest and the crows had not returned by nightfall.
After several hours on their own, it was clear that the babies were orphaned. They would not survive the night on their own so Kristy and her family adopted them. They fed them every few hours and the crows grew quickly. After a few weeks, they were able to fly and they spent their nights in the trees of Kristy's back yard. They still depended on the family for food and they came when called, screaming loudly for a meal. Like ravenous quadruplets, the crows demanded food at an incredible rate.
Knowing they would need to fend for themselves soon, the crows were taught to find worms and to eat berries from the bush. Crows are highly intelligent and these corvids learned quickly. This is Cameron, showing the crows how to select the ripest fruit. Unfortunately, they learned too well because they flew next door and cleaned out all the berries on Mrs. Hottner's berry bushes. They also pulled the cable out of the satellite receiver on the house, much to the amusement of Mr. Hottner. Crows are actually known for their sense of humour.
Incredibly, the crows learned to say the word ":hello" and they would perch in the trees, calling out when they saw their human friends. As smart as chimpanzees, crows can learn to speak.
The crows thrived and they successfully integrated into a wild crow family in the area. They flew south for the winter and the family missed them terribly. They wondered if the crows had actually left and if they were doing alright. But one warm day in spring, a familiar voice was heard, saying "hello". One of the crows had returned and took food that was left on a branch. They were no longer tame, which is as it should be, and they no longer sat on the shoulders of their human family, but they did visit occasionally. On several occasions, two distinct voices could be heard, indicating that at least two had made it through the winter. A camera left at the bird feeder the following year captured heart warming footage of one of the crows saying hello to a squirrel.
It is hoped that all four survived and are still doing well. It's rarer now, but the family still hears an occasional "hello" and they still see crows that let them get closer than a truly wild crow would.
Of all the animal friendships Kristy and her family have had, this is the most beautiful.