It's been a while since anyone has heard from Canuck the Crow, but there might be a new corvid celebrity in town.
A Twitter account called @crowYVR has been documenting the shenanigans of a crow named Moira who decided to move into YVR — much like Tom Hanks in The Terminal.
"I live in YVR and I want your food. I'll poop where I please," reads its Twitter biography.
The crow was named after Moira Rose, a character from the popular CBC sitcom Schitt's Creek who starred in an "apocalyptic fantasy about mutant crows." (Yes, it was a parody of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.)
In a statement to the Richmond News on behalf of Moira, Twitter user @crowYVR said she is "relieved" to tell her story and "finally get (her) Prince Harry moment of clarity with the public."
According to the statement, Moira moved into the airport about a week before Christmas in 2022, and she has since been showing off her soaring and swooping skills by touring the terminals and stealing food from unsuspecting travellers. While she expected to be kicked out, the airport has yet to do so.
The crow can often be seen perched on top of totem poles in the Domestic Departures area, which have now been covered in plastic wrap as protection against Moira's poop. A sign has also been set up for confused travellers.
"This piece of art has recently become the chosen roost for a different type of aviator — a crow who has made its way into the Domestic Departures area," reads the sign, which also includes a warning to refrain from feeding the crow.
A spokesperson from YVR confirmed that because the airport is the largest building in the province with "hundreds of doors and windows," wildlife does make its way into the terminal "from time to time."
"We continually work with our partners, including our food and beverage operators and pest control, to regularly monitor and address this aspect of our operation," said the spokesperson.
"If any passengers or employees see wildlife in the terminal, we ask they notify our Operations Centre so we can investigate."
According to @crowYVR, the Twitter account was set up to show off Moira's new life to "old pals" and "tweeting is in (birds') DNA."
"Please remember that my avian family have been tweeting since we first came out of a shell millions of years ago, long before Jack made an app and Elon made it a joke," reads Moira's statement.
For now, it seems that Moira is here to stay as the "welcoming spirit of the airport" has calmed the crow and made her "feel more part of the family than a trespasser."
"Here I have peace. And french fries."
