“We knew my grandpa sent him to us.”
One morning, while watering the plants, Jo Jantz noticed a young crow landing on the fence. The bird watched her intently before starting to caw. He didn’t appear to be injured; he simply craved some attention.
“My mom called me outside to see him,” Nina Mason, Jantz’s daughter, recounted to The Dodo. “As I approached, he flew onto my arm, and that’s where our friendship began.” They decided to name the crow Elvis, and from that first encounter, he began visiting daily. As a fledgling still exploring the world, he sought comfort from Jantz, Mason, and their family, leading them to believe he was sent by someone special.
“My mom felt comforted by his presence, seeing it as a spiritual sign since her dad had passed two months earlier,” Mason explained. “We knew my grandpa sent him to us.”
Mason’s grandfather loved feeding and observing birds, and the family found solace in Elvis just as he seemed to find solace with them. For about a month, Elvis would land on their back porch, cawing loudly to grab their attention. He would hop onto their arms or shoulders, bathe in their birdbath, or enjoy a snack, fully embracing his role as part of their family.
“My mom and I spent our mornings with him,” Mason shared. “I was always thrilled to sit outside with him, sipping tea on the deck while he hopped from my legs to my arms. He’d even try to jump into my mug or tug at my necklace and hair. He was like an annoying little brother—I couldn’t get mad at him. He’d hang out for anywhere from an hour to several hours until he decided to fly away or I had to head inside to get ready for work.”
Even when he wasn’t around, Elvis kept an eye on them.
“He spotted my mom in the neighborhood while she was out for a walk,” Mason said. “He swooped down from a neighbor’s roof and joined her on her shoulder for the rest of her walk.” However, after a while, Elvis began to visit less frequently. The family still sees him flying around the neighborhood, but now he’s grown up and living his own life. He arrived when both he and his adopted family needed each other the most, leaving an unforgettable mark on their lives.
“Most people know that crows are attracted to shiny objects, but Elvis had a particular fondness for my soccer necklace, which belonged to my grandpa and was from his 1959 championship,” Mason revealed. “This made it feel even more like a sign that my grandpa sent him to bring us joy and help heal our grieving hearts.”