YVR crow released after spending weeks inside airport
There’s a new crow in town who could be giving Canuck a run for his money in terms of internet fame — and Twitter has named it Moira.
The crafty corvid made its way inside Vancouver International Airport several weeks ago, and since then has been calling the airport terminal home. Staff at the airport have had to wrap the terminal’s artwork in plastic to protect it from the crow’s droppings.
The crow generated enough attention to get its own parody Twitter account — which re-shares photos of the bird perched at various locations around the airport.
I spy an unwrapped totem beakā¦ a new perch to poop on ?#YVRcrow #placestoperch #BirdTwitter pic.twitter.com/iMTzYgqMF6
ā YVRcrow (@crowYVR) January 12, 2023
But on Monday, YVR Airport announced on Twitter that the bird had finally left the terminal.
“After weeks of happily living in-terminal, our most recent resident crow has officially been safely re-released,” the airport said.
We take great care with birds at YVR & have a team of biologists to assess & monitor wildlife at our airport. After weeks of happily living in-terminal, our most recent resident crow has officially been safely re-released! Learn about our Wildlife Program:https://t.co/K4Fjb3145V pic.twitter.com/pfQk19CZ88
ā YVR (@yvrairport) January 30, 2023
Birds sometimes make their way into the terminal, and staff use a variety of methods to catch and remove them, according to the airport’s website.
“The birds typically find their way out on their own, however, some opt to stay,” the airport’s website says. “The birds can prove very difficult to remove, especially intelligent birds like crows. This difficulty is compounded by security requirements, making it difficult to provide exits.”
Staff use several non-lethal methods to usher the birds back to natural settings, including placing nets in their flight path, and setting out cages with water and food. The airport asks travellers not to feed any birds found inside the terminal.