If you want to bond with nature, sometimes you don’t have to go further than your own backyard. Many people have heartwarming bonds with the wild animals who come to visit their homes.
Like one woman, who has a sweet new friendship with a family of crows — and now, they even exchange gifts.
Tango Steinke, from Virginia, likes to feed the birds and squirrels who hang around her townhouse. A couple of crows, who she named Doc and Dottie, have been nesting in her yard, and she started feeding them peanuts.
@tangobird They have been busy fighting off hawks this week #crowtiktok #crow #corvid #birdwatchinggoesbothways #fyp ♬ original sound – Tango
She was proud when they trusted her enough to use the feeding platform outside her window: “I know it’s stupid, but I love these crows so much,” she wrote.
Over time, the crows became regular visitors. “I’ve been feeding these crows for over two years,” she wrote on TikTok. “They didn’t start visiting regularly until last January.”
@tangobird This is huge for us #TheSplashDance #GiveWithAllYourHeart #fyp #crows #corvids #birdwatchinggoesbothways #birds #crowtiktok #nature ♬ original sound – Tango
“They wouldn’t approach me, but they would go eat the peanuts after I went inside,” Tango told The Dodo.
“Over the course of that first month of regular visits, they became more vocal about their arrival. They’d caw at my bedroom window on the weekends until I got up to feed them.”
@tangobird He wants more than 2 peanuts SO BADLY #crows #corvid #crowtok #birdwatchinggoesbothways #fyp #GiveWithAllYourHeart #TheSplashDance ♬ original sound – Tango
But the birds didn’t just take without giving back.
After accepting plenty of peanuts from their kind neighbor, the crows started giving “gifts.”
While the gifts are usually just scraps and bits of random junk the birds picked up around town, they were still appreciated as apparent “thank you” gifts.
“Nothing makes me happier than presents,” Tango wrote in one TikTok video. “Thanks, crows!” she says.
@tangobird Nothing makes me happier than presents #crow #corvid #birdwatchinggoesbothways #crowfriends #fyp #foryoupage #birds #giftsfromcrows #presents ♬ autumn – Wun Two
Crows are known to give gifts to people who feed and pay attention to them, so the behavior is not too surprising.
But this avian gift exchange has become a fun ritual for Tango, who will share videos of what the birds have brung her.
While sometimes the crows’ gift choices are confusing:
@tangobird I’m grateful but what is it? #crow #corvid #birdwatchinggoesbothways #crowgifts #present #FlauntItChallenge ♬ original sound – Tango
But sometimes, the crows know just what to bring: in one viral TikTok, Tango reveals that the birds brought her money!
In exchange for their peanuts, the birds left behind two coins: a nickel and, surprisingly, a Euro.
“I don’t know where they found a Euro in Virginia,” Tango says.
@tangobird Crows are amazing. #crowtiktok #corvid #crow #crowtok #birdwatchinggoesbothways #freemoney #fyp #foryou #birdtok #crowtok ♬ original sound – Tango
She says she gets the gifts about once a month, and has collected their presents in a “crow jar.”
The collection includes feathers, some nuts, buttons, a green marble, a piece of pottery and the opener tab of a can.
@tangobird Reply to @dbeachtiedye crow gift collection #crowtiktok #corvid #crow #crowtok #birdwatchinggoesbothways #fyp #foryou #birdtok #crowfriends ♬ original sound – Tango
In addition to this sweet gift exchange, Tango says the crows have become her friends. Doc and Dottie welcomed a baby crow last Spring, who also now feasts on her peanuts.
And the birds are happy to look after Tango and her family, too.
@tangobird Reply to @tangobird it’s like having loud bodyguards. #ArbysDiabloDare #crowtiktok #corvid #crow #crowtok #birdwatchinggoesbothways #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – Tango
“It’s become more than crows feeding in my yard,” Tango told The Dodo. “They follow us to the bus stop in the mornings, they’ll hang out around the playground and, most notably, they alarm call if one of my kids falls down.”
“I don’t know if they’re just watching out for them or if they don’t trust me to parent them. But they’re never very far away when we go outside.”
@tangobird With crows, You’re never really alone. #crowtiktok #corvid #crow #crowtok #birdwatchinggoesbothways #fyp #foryou #birdtok ♬ original sound – Tango
Being kind to animals is its own reward, but it’s sweet to see these friendly crows thank Tango for the food with gifts!
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