Winged Restroom Attendant Earns Its Keep

In the U.S. we are accustomed to free public restrooms, but people in other countries often need to pay to visit a restroom facility. Patrons at a restroom in Turkey have become accustomed to paying their fee to an unusual attendant—a crow, the European Cleaning Journal reports.

The human owner and attendant of a restroom in Birecik, Turkey—Ismail Atmaca— raised his winged partner from a chick. He found the young crow after it had fallen from its nest, unable to fly, and fed it while he attended to his restroom duties. The crow perched on Atmaca’s shoulder and soon learned to mimic the man’s actions.

The bird will accept coins and banknotes from restroom patrons, taking the money with its beak and placing it on the counter. If a person refuses to pay, the crow will shriek loudly to get Atmaca’s attention.

The bird has become so adept at collecting money that Atmaca will often leave it in charge while he attends to cleaning and other matters. Atmaca is grateful for his assistant’s help, even though the bird will occasionally keep some of the profits, stashing them in a hidden spot.