Girl who gets gifts from crows ruffling neighbors’ feathers

Credit: Fran Rogers, Wikimedia Commons

Credit: Fran Rogers, Wikimedia Commons


In March, a story about a girl in Seattle who feeds crows and receives gifts from them went viral.

The story of the girl’s relationship with the birds and images of the crow gifts she collects touched the hearts of many readers.

Alas, the girl’s relationship with her neighbors is not so sweet.

In fact, neighbors were shocked when the story about 8-year-old Gabi Mann was published, leaving out a long and heated dispute with neighbors over the crows’ invasion of their neighborhood.

The battle over the birds has been going on for almost two years, according to the Seattle Times.

Neighbors say parts of Seattle’s Portage Bay neighborhood look like a scene from Hitchcock’s classic thriller, “The Birds,” with as many as 100 birds hovering in the area at feeding time.

Neighbors say their homes have been “carpet-bombed by avian poop,” according to the Times’ report. Angry residents say they are awakened by the cawing of the birds and that the bird feed has also attracted rats.

Parents of children allergic to peanuts are concerned about the peanut remnants left behind by the crows.

The Manns claim the neighbors are harassing the family, and they have set up a video surveillance system to record the neighbors’ actions. The Manns claim neighbors have yelled at their children and even hung a dead crow off a balcony.

While it's not illegal to feed the birds, as many as 50 people have signed a petition asking the city to step in.

Health officials came out earlier this year and cited the Manns for having bird food accessible to rats.  The family complied with the required corrective measures.

The story does look like it will have a happy ending for the neighbors, however. The Manns are moving to Houston this summer.

It remains to be seen if the crows will follow.

Cox Media Group National Content Desk contributed to this report.