National Geographic

112backyard. “This is the second dead fish they’vebrought me. I don’t know why,” Gabi says asshe tucks the stickleback’s silvery remains in aplastic bag, affixes a dated label, and places thebag in the freezer. “They aren’t my favorites.But this one’s in better shape; the other one hadits head cut off.” Babyface also once left her thehead of a baby bird. “Kind of gross.” He broughta different— and from Gabi’s viewpoint, moreappropriate— gift that afternoon. She and herbrother had dashed to the backyard to replenishthe bird feeders. She filled one tray with pea-nuts in the shell and another with dog food. Twocrows flew into the conifers. One was Babyface,and he was holding an orange object in his beak.He moved to an overhead cable, perched above``````BY VIRGINIA MORELLPHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES``````CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE BIRD``````Offering Gifts<RXQJ*DEL0DQQEHIULHQGHGFURZVLQKHU6HDWWOHQHLJKERUKRRGVHWWLQJRXWQXWVDQGGRJIRRG,QH[FKDQJHWKH\EURXJKWKHUJLIWVLQFOXGLQJDSHDUOHVFHQWSODVWLFKHDUWRQHRIKHUIDYRULWHVEach small compartment holds a treasure, agift, that the crows have given her: a gold bead,a pearl earring, a screw, a red Lego piece, coloredand clear glass chips, a chicken bone, a pebble, aquartz crystal, and many more.Though slightly soiled, all are stored as care-fully as rare artifacts, dated, and categorized.Gabi selects two that she calls her First Favor-ites, and holds them up for me to admire. One isa pearly-pink heart charm, the other a tiny, silverrectangle with the word “BEST” engraved on oneside. “It’s because they love me,” she says aboutthe seemingly thoughtful objects, adding thatshe expects the birds will leave her a “FRIEND”charm one day. “They know everything I like—toys and shiny things—because they watch me.They’re like spies.”Already that morning a crow—likely one Gabi’sbrother named Babyface, who has a recognizablepatch of gray feathers—has brought her a deadstickleback fish, placing it where it couldn’t bemissed: on the stairs leading to the family’sABOVE: CROW PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOEL SARTORE AT GEORGE MIKSCH SUTTON AVIAN RESEARCH CENTER, BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMAThe American crows in Gabriella Mann’sSeattle neighborhood love her, and the eight-year-old girl has the goods to prove it. She places a plasticjewelry box on a kitchen counter and lifts the lid.