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Caw-Cawing All Bird Lovers: A New Crow at the Zoo

July 27, 2026

This beauty is Flora – a juvenile American crow that recently joined our residents at the Zoo! This special bird has quite the backstory. Before she was called Flora, volunteers and staff at Wild Nest Bird Rehab in Decatur, Georgia, were calling her “Four Forty-Four” because she was the 444th intake when she was rescued in May of 2025.

444 was brought to Wild Nest underweight and with injuries to her eye and wing which indicated that she was attacked by a predator. Because her wing wasn’t fully broken and she appeared to maintain some sight in her injured eye, staff at Wild Nest Bird Rehab initially believed that she could make a recovery and be released back into the wild. As time went on, however, it became apparent that 444’s injuries greatly limited her ability to fly – putting her at risk for being attacked by another predator or being unable to gather food for herself.

Wild Nest reports that: “Having stolen volunteers’ hearts with her cleverness and curiosity, 444 seemed like a perfect candidate to become an educational ambassador bird, so we began the process of finding her a forever home.” 444 ended up spending a full year at the Nest, playing with enrichment puzzles, socializing with volunteers, and greeting the guests that came to the facilities bringing their own birds for rehabilitation.

Although there were several other Zoos and conservation facilities in the area that responded to the request to take her, Chattanooga Zoo stuck out for one big reason – we already had an non-releasable American crow.

General is a male crow at the Zoo who is estimated to be 18-years-old. He was found knocked out of his nest after a big storm and good samaritans took him home. Unfortunately, General spent too much time under human care for him to be released back into the wild, so the family surrendered him to the Zoo.

Crows are social animals and often spend time in large foraging flocks (sometimes called a “murder of crows”), so the opportunity to house these two clever crows together was perfect! Wild Nest says, “Although we grew very attached to 444 and hated to see her go, we all wanted what was best for her – the chance to have another crow companion while inspiring the public to appreciate our feathered friends.”

444 was brought to the Zoo in May of 2026. “Knowing she was in such competent, caring hands made the difficult goodbye easier,” says Wild Nest.

Introductions started with the Howdy technique. This is where General and Flora were placed in adjacent habitats where they could see, smell, and hear each other but couldn’t physically interact. There was a lot of interest on both sides. Flora was then moved to a crate inside of General’s habitat where keepers could gauge their interactions. Finally, the door was opened and the two crows met for the first time.

“Immediately, General was smitten,” says Jenna Lyons, lead keeper of North America and Asia at Chattanooga Zoo. “Flora was a little more unsure of him since she hadn’t spent as much time with other birds. But they did a good job of communicating and General respected Flora’s need for space as she got used to her new home. They’ve gotten a lot more comfortable over time.”

Like General, keepers fell in love with Flora immediately for her bright and spunky personality. “She thinks she’s a person,” Lyons remarks. “She’s very people-friendly and always wants attention from keepers. Because she was so young when she was brought to Wild Nest, Flora never really learned all of the bird social skills she should have. General is teaching her a bit on how to be a bird.”

Because crows and other birds are highly social animals, interacting with them too much can condition them to become more dependent on humans until they can no longer survive in the wild without human care. That’s why when you see a bird or fledgling on the ground it’s a good idea to call a wildlife rehabber to get advice before interacting with the bird. You can find more information about local wildlife rehabilitation facilities by visiting our webpage here: Chatt Zoo Rehabilitation

You can now see Flora and General in the North America section of the Zoo! If you’re lucky, they might even speak and say hello!