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Wow! Very jealous... of all the birds I would love to own, crows are very near the top of my list. They belong to the corvid group, and are considered by many experts to be the smartest birds in the world... even smarter than african greys. Unfortunately, they are illegal here in the states without a rescue/rehab or education permit.
And yes, they can learn to talk.
I have the priviledge of working with a crow at the aviary where I am interning as a bird trainer. She is extremely smart, and an escape artist. If you're planning on keeping your crow outdoors, definitely consider building a double door to prevent escapes. You're going to have to stay on your toes to stay ahead of a crow...
In the wild, crows have been known to make their own tools to solve problems and get at food. They've also demonstrated this ability in lab settings, utilizing objects placed in front of them to get a bit of food placed at the bottom of a pipe.
As far as what to feed, you'll have to do some more research on that... I'm still learning myself. Where are you getting the crow from? Perhaps they can give you some direction. In the meantime, a good softbill diet base (like something designed for Mynah birds and other corvids) is great. Supplement it with insects like mealworms and crickets and offer occassional pieces of rodents, like mice.
Like parrots, crows need toys to keep them stimulated. Use your imagination, just remember to keep things safe. It's also good practice to hide food in empty boxes, like cereal boxes, to make them forage for it on their own. Since they are so smart, keeping them stimulated is extremely important.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Enjoy your crow!
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