I need to know why crow/raven steal shiny stuff?

Answer 1

In Aborigine mythology, Raven tried to steal fire from seven sisters (the Pleides), and was charred black in the unsuccessful attempt

At Oxford University in England, ornithologists conducted an unusual experiment with two New Caledonian Crows named Betty and Abel, reported in the August 9, 2002 issue of the journal Science. They placed a tiny bucket of meat inside a pipe, and left two pieces of wire in their cage, one hooked and one straight, to see if the birds would choose the hooked wire to retrieve the bucket of meat, proving that birds were "tool users" on a par with higher levels of animal intelligence.

Answer 2

They are just attracted to the shine. My parrots are the same way. They love shiney things..bright things..noisy things. They are smart animals and certain things just catch their eyes so they grab it and take it with them.