미국 8세 소녀에게 친구 까마귀가 물어다준 선물

입력 2015-02-27 21:36 수정 2015-02-27 21:40

까마귀들이 물어다 준 선물들.

8세의 게이비 만.

미국 워싱턴주 시애틀에 사는 8세 소녀인 게이비 만은 작고 귀여운 물건들을 많이 갖고 있다. 바다 모래에 마모된 부드러운 갈색 병 조각이나 귀걸이, 파란색 레고 조각, 노란 구슬, 문구용 클립, 각양각색의 단추들, 작은 백열전구, 반지, 나사 등등. 게이비는 “친구들한테 받은 선물”이라고 소개했다. 그런데 그 친구들은 까마귀들이다. 

게이비는 몇 년 전부터 자신이 뭘 먹을 때 졸졸 따라다니는 까마귀에게 관심을 갖기 시작했다. 처음에는 빵조각을 조금씩 떼어주다가 2년 전부터는 매일 정기적으로 모이를 주고 있다. 그런데 어느 날부터 까마귀들이 모이를 다 먹은 뒤 모이통에 ‘선물’을 하나씩 놓고 가기 시작했다. 그 물건들이 지금들은 수십 가지에 이른다.

까마귀들은 게이비가 외출하면 전기줄에 줄지어서 지저귀는 등 늘 친구처럼 반긴다. 한번은 까마귀가 ‘Best(베스트)'라는 글씨가 새겨진 작은 조각을 놓고 갔는데, 게이비는 “까마귀들이 저한테 ‘Best friend(친구)’라는 말을 하고 싶어했을지도 모르겠다”고 말했다. 

까마귀들은 게이비 가족과도 친해졌다. 최근에 게이비 엄마인 리사가 동네에서 카메라 렌즈 보호뚜껑을 잃어버렸는데 까마귀들이 이를 물어다 집에 갖다주기도 했다. 리사는 영국 BBC 방송과의 인터뷰에서 “까마귀들이 우리 가족의 일거수 일투족을 다 쳐다보고 있었던 것”이라고 말했다.

워싱턴주립대의 조류학자인 존 마줄루프는 “까마귀가 사람과 돈독한 관계를 맺는 경우가 전에도 여러 차례 보고된 적이 있다”면서 “사람과 커뮤니케이션을 할 수 있는 능력을 갖춘 새”라고 설명했다. 아울러 수컷 까마귀가 암컷에게 작은 물건을 물어다주며 구애하곤 하는데, 사람한테도 구애의 정에 버금가는 깊은 정이 들었을 때 ‘선물’을 갖다주는 것으로 추정되고 있다. 

손병호 기자 bhson@kmib.co.kr 

미국 시애틀에 사는 8세 소녀 가비는 까마귀를 좋아해 

어느날 부터 견과류와 개샤료등을 넣은 나무상자를 정원에 두어 

까마귀에게 식사(?)제공을 했다고 합니다.

까마귀들은 점차 이곳은 먹을것이 있는 곳이다 라는걸 인식하고는

시간때을 맞추어 맛있는 식사를 합니다.

 

 

 

 

어느날 부터인가 나무상자속에 너트, 볼트. 클립등

여러 잡다한 자그만한 부품들이 놓아있었다고 합니다.

까마귀들이 가비에 대한 고마움의 표시인지는 모르겠지만

까마귀들은 사회성이 강하고 머리가 좋은 동물인지라

아마도 이러한 우호관계를 계속 이어가고자 하는 맘에

나름 인간이 좋아할만한 댓가를 지불한것이 아닐런지..ㅎㅎ

 

 

 

 

 

아래사이트에 짧은 동영상도 있네요..

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026

The girl who gets gifts from birds

By Katy Sewall Seattle

Lots of people love the birds in their garden, but it's rare for that affection to be reciprocated. one young girl in Seattle is luckier than most. She feeds the crows in her garden - and they bring her gifts in return.

Eight-year-old Gabi Mann sets a bead storage container on the dining room table, and clicks the lid open. This is her most precious collection.

"You may take a few close looks," she says, "but don't touch." It's a warning she's most likely practised on her younger brother. She laughs after saying it though. She is happy for the audience.

Inside the box are rows of small objects in clear plastic bags. one label reads: "Black table by feeder. 2:30 p.m. 09 Nov 2014." Inside is a broken light bulb. Another bag contains small pieces of brown glass worn smooth by the sea. "Beer coloured glass," as Gabi describes it.

Each item is individually wrapped and categorised. Gabi pulls a black zip out of a labelled bag and holds it up. "We keep it in as good condition as we can," she says, before explaining this object is one of her favourites.

There's a miniature silver ball, a black button, a blue paper clip, a yellow bead, a faded black piece of foam, a blue Lego piece, and the list goes on. Many of them are scuffed and dirty. It is an odd assortment of objects for a little girl to treasure, but to Gabi these things are more valuable than gold.

She didn't gather this collection. Each item was a gift - given to her by crows.

She holds up a pearl coloured heart. It is her most-prized present. "It's showing me how much they love me."

If you want to form a bond with a crow, be consistent in rewarding them

John Marzluff, Prof of wildlife science

Gabi's relationship with the neighbourhood crows began accidentally in 2011. She was four years old, and prone to dropping food. She'd get out of the car, and a chicken nugget would tumble off her lap. A crow would rush in to recover it. Soon, the crows were watching for her, hoping for another bite.

As she got older, she rewarded their attention, by sharing her packed lunch on the way to the bus stop. Her brother joined in. Soon, crows were lining up in the afternoon to greet Gabi's bus, hoping for another feeding session.

Gabi's mother Lisa didn't mind that crows consumed most of the school lunches she packed. "I like that they love the animals and are willing to share," she says, while admitting she never noticed crows until her daughter took an interest in them. "It was a kind of transformation. I never thought about birds."

In 2013, Gabi and Lisa started offering food as a daily ritual, rather than dropping scraps from time to time.

Each morning, they fill the backyard birdbath with fresh water and cover bird-feeder platforms with peanuts. Gabi throws handfuls of dog food into the grass. As they work, crows assemble on the telephone lines, calling loudly to them.

Media captionGabi feeding birds in her garden

It was after they adopted this routine that the gifts started appearing.

The crows would clear the feeder of peanuts, and leave shiny trinkets on the empty tray; an earring, a hinge, a polished rock. There wasn't a pattern. Gifts showed up sporadically - anything shiny and small enough to fit in a crow's mouth.

One time it was a tiny piece of metal with the word "best" printed on it. "I don't know if they still have the part that says 'friend'," Gabi laughs, amused by the thought of a crow wearing a matching necklace.

When you see Gabi's collection, it's hard not to wish for gift-giving crows of your own.

"If you want to form a bond with a crow, be consistent in rewarding them," advises John Marzluff, professor of wildlife science at the University of Washington. He specialises in birds, particularly crows and ravens.

What food is best? "A few peanuts in the shell," he says. "It's a high-energy food… and it makes noise when you throw it on the ground, so they hear it and they quickly habituate to your routine."

Marzluff, and his colleague Mark Miller, did a study of crows and the people who feed them. They found that crows and people form a very personal relationship. "There's definitely a two-way communication going on there," Marzluff says. "They understand each other's signals."

The birds communicate by how they fly, how close they walk, and where they sit. The human learns their language and the crows learn their feeder's patterns and posture. They start to know and trust each other. Sometimes a crow leaves a gift.

But crow gifts are not guaranteed. "I can't say they always will (give presents)," Marzluff admits, having never received any gifts personally, "but I have seen an awful lot of things crows have brought people."

Not all crows deliver shiny objects either. Sometimes they give the kind of presents "they would give to their mate", says Marzluff. "Courtship feeding, for example. So some people, their presents are dead baby birds that the crow brings in."

Gabi has been given some icky objects. Her mother threw out a rotting crab claw, for example.

Gabi points out a heavily rusted screw she prefers not to touch. It's labelled "Third Favorite." Asking her why an untouchable object is in the favourites, she answers, "You don't' see a crow carrying around a screw that much. Unless it's trying to build its house."

Lisa, Gabi's mom, regularly photographs the crows and charts their behaviour and interactions. Her most amazing gift came just a few weeks ago, when she lost a lens cap in a nearby alley while photographing a bald eagle as it circled over the neighbourhood.

She didn't even have to look for it. It was sitting on the edge of the birdbath.

Had the crows returned it? Lisa logged on to her computer and pulled up their bird-cam. There was the crow she suspected. "You can see it bringing it into the yard. Walks it to the birdbath and actually spends time rinsing this lens cap."

"I'm sure that it was intentional," she smiles. "They watch us all the time. I'm sure they knew I dropped it. I'm sure they decided they wanted to return it."

Writer and broadcaster Katy Sewall is co-host of The BitterSweet Life podcast." She's been a journalist and radio professional for 12 years.

Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.

This story inspired readers to email us with details of their own remarkable relationships with birds.

[월드 화제] 까마귀가 물어다 준 ‘귀한 선물’

미국 워싱턴주 시애틀에 사는 8세 소녀인 게이비 만은 작고 귀여운 물건을 많이 갖고 있다.

바닷모래에 마모된 부드러운 갈색 병 조각이나 귀고리, 파란색 레고 조각, 노란 구슬, 문구용 클립, 각양각색의 단

추들, 작은 백열전구, 반지, 나사 등등. 게이비는 “친구들한테 받은 선물”이라고 소개했다. 그런데 그 친구들은 까마

귀들이다.

게이비는 몇 년 전부터 자신이 뭘 먹을 때 졸졸 따라다니는 까마귀에게 관심을 갖기 시작했다. 처음에는 빵 조각을

 조금씩 떼어주다가 2년 전부터는 매일 정기적으로 모이를 주고 있다. 그런데 어느 날부터 까마귀들이 모이를 다

 먹은 뒤 모이통에 ‘선물’을 하나씩 놓고 가기 시작했다. 그 물건들이 지금들은 수십 가지에 이른다.

까마귀들은 게이비가 외출하면 전깃줄에 줄지어서 지저귀는 등 늘 친구처럼 반긴다. 한번은 까마귀가 ‘Best(베스

트)’라는 글씨가 새겨진 작은 조각을 놓고 갔는데, 게이비는 “까마귀들이 저한테 ‘Best friend(친구)’라는 말을 하고 

싶어 했을지도 모르겠다”고 말했다.

까마귀들은 게이비 가족과도 친해졌다. 최근 게이비 엄마인 리사가 동네에서 카메라렌즈 보호뚜껑을 잃어버렸는

데 까마귀들이 이를 물어다 집에 갖다 주기도 했다. 리사는 영국 BBC방송과의 인터뷰에서 “까마귀들이 우리 가족

의 일거수일투족을 다 쳐다보고 있었던 것”이라고 말했다.

워싱턴주립대의 조류학자인 존 마줄루프는 “까마귀가 사람과 돈독한 관계를 맺는 경우가 전에도 여러 차례 보고

된 적이 있다”면서 “사람과 커뮤니케이션을 할 수 있는 능력을 갖춘 새”라고 설명했다. 아울러 수컷 까마귀가 암컷

에게 작은 물건을 물어다주며 구애하곤 하는데, 사람한테도 구애의 정에 버금가는 깊은 정이 들었을 때 ‘선물’을 

갖다 주는 것으로 추정되고 있다.

손병호 기자 bhson@kmib.co.kr

출처: 한류열풍사랑