There is no animal we’re more aware of having as neighbors as the American Crow. Loud, ubiquitous, and immediately recognizable, most Portlanders will see crows every day. And yet, there are few animals as mysterious and captivating. 

• If I feed crows, will they bring me shiny presents?
• Why are crows so intelligent, and what do they do with those big brains?
• Why, if we look outside at dawn and dusk, do we see vast numbers of them all flying in the same direction?
• Why do they tear out the grass in our lawns?
• Why do they bring bits of food and wash it in our bird baths?
• Why do they dive bomb some people?
• Do they really remember human faces? And hold funerals for their fallen? 

In this wide-ranging exploration of the exceedingly common, and unique, American Crow, we’ll learn what makes them so fascinating and mysterious, and try to answer some of these questions along the way. 

Brodie Cass Talbott works at Bird Alliance of Oregon, where he has been educating both adults and kids about birds since 2018. He leads birdwatching tours near and far, teaches classes on bird ecology and identification, and works to engage the growing birdwatching community in the conservation work that Bird Alliance of Oregon has been doing since 1902.