Rescued crow who can talk picks up a few new skills

Remember the rescued crow who could say "Hello?"

Jet the crow, who has been living at the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre in Ile des Chnes for close to 10 years, has picked up a few new skills.

Jet was first brought to the centre as a very young bird with a broken wing that didn't heal properly.

He got so used to people that he wasn't deemed fit for release in the wild, and instead became an ambassador for the rescue.

In 2015, Jet learned to say "hello."

Now, Alex Cupeiro, a 23-year-old university student who volunteers at Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre, has taught Jet how to recognize colours.

WATCH | Jet shows off his new skill:

Jet the crow has the eye for colours

4 years ago

Duration 0:41

The Manitoba Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre is showing off the skills of one of its long time residents.

Cupeiro did it using flash cards and a clicker trainer.

Jet now knows seven colours: red, green, blue, orange, yellow, white and purple.

"He's usually pretty quick to the draw," Cupeiro said.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Jet is working on other skills as well. Cupeiro is trying to teach him to pick up a paint brush ahead of the rescue's art auction in February.

"We're hoping that he might be able to make a painting for the auction," she said.

"We'll have to see how far we get, but I'm hoping we can at least get him to put some paint on paper with the paint brush."

Jet has a lot of personalityand even likes to laugh at himself sometimes, Cupeiro said.

"Sometimes he'll just laugh when he drops something, which I think is very cute," she said.

"He's quite a character. He's pretty funny. He does like to be a little bit stubborn some days, but he loves to work hard and he loves to do his favourite things and he loves his favourite people."

Crows are said to be approximately as smart as about a seven-year-old human in some cases, Cupeiro said.

Showcasing his skills makesJet an incredible ambassador for an animal that is so commonly seen in daily life, she said.

"They're seen worldwide by peoplebut not always understood and appreciated," she said.

"So for [crows] to have the opportunity to have Jet as an ambassador, teaching people what they can do, is just a great step towards building that connection."