Crows are among the most familiar birds in Ohio and across much of North America, but there is considerably more going on behind those dark eyes than their everyday appearance might suggest.

The American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a large bird, bigger than a robin, and is entirely black from beak to tail with a strong bill, powerful legs and a fan-shaped tail. Adults generally measure about 16 to 21 inches long. But appearance isn’t what makes crows particularly interesting. It’s their brains.

Smarter than your average bird

Crows belong to the corvid family, which also includes ravens, jays and magpies. Members of this family of birds have earned a reputation for remarkable intelligence. (Editor’s note: Ravens resemble crows, but are considerably larger, have a slightly curved bill, a ‘beard’ of feathers on its throat and are not native to Ohio.)

Crows can solve complicated problems, remember solutions and learn by watching others. Research has shown that corvids possess some cognitive abilities that rival those seen in young children.

Some are even tool users.

Certain crow species have been observed modifying objects to help them obtain food. New Caledonian crows, for example, are particularly famous for making and using tools, including hooked implements that allow them to retrieve food from otherwise inaccessible places.

Crows also have figured out how to make humans — and their automobiles — do some of the work for them. In some places, crows have been observed dropping hard-shelled nuts onto roads, allowing passing vehicles to crack them open. Then the birds return to collect the meal. Not bad for a bird without a driver’s license.

Crows remember faces

Being rude to a crow might not be quickly forgotten. Research has demonstrated that American crows can recognize individual human faces and remember people they associate with danger. Other crows can learn about those potentially threatening humans as well. That ability fits nicely with the crow’s highly social lifestyle.

Crows frequently live in family groups.

Young birds may remain with their parents and help raise younger brothers and sisters rather than immediately striking out on their own. That cooperation means young crows have plenty of opportunities to learn from older birds, helping knowledge spread through a family or population.

And when several crows get together, they have one of the more colorful collective names in the animal kingdom: a “murder” of crows. Despite the sinister-sounding term, a gathering of crows usually has nothing particularly ominous planned.

Probably.

At home almost anywhere

American crows are remarkably adaptable. They can live around forests, fields, farms, parks, neighborhoods and cities, taking advantage of whatever food and shelter are available. Their willingness to live alongside people has helped make them one of the most recognizable birds around.

Winter can make their social behavior particularly obvious.

Large numbers of crows may gather at communal roosts, sometimes numbering in the thousands. Birds fly into these gathering places toward evening and spend the night together before dispersing again the following morning.

Ornithologists (those who study birds and their behaviors) believe communal roosting can provide several advantages, including protection from predators and opportunities for birds to exchange information about good feeding areas. The result can be quite a spectacle — particularly when hundreds or thousands of black birds begin filling the evening sky.

Crows are found across much of the world and have adapted to an impressive variety of environments. The familiar American crow, meanwhile, is a year-round presence across much of Ohio. That makes it easy to take them for granted.

The next time a crow is sitting on a telephone wire, walking confidently across a lawn or apparently studying the people nearby, however, it might be worth giving the bird another look.

After all, there’s a good chance the crow is giving you one, too.