Happy Halloween! As we celebrate this spookiest of days, let’s highlight a common species of bird that is sometimes misunderstood: the American Crow! These birds are found nearly everywhere you look, and are associated with the supernatural or macabre in a number of folk tales and stories. Their distinctive jet-black plumage is part of the reason they are such an iconic symbol for Halloween (they are even name-dropped in the song of the same name by local Vermont artist Noah Kahan!) and they are often seen on lawn or window displays alongside other such omens of misfortune such as black cats, spiders, or witches.

But these birds shouldn’t be dismissed or looked down upon as a result of these often negative connotations! American Crows, and many other birds in the family corvidae (aptly known collectively as corvids), are very intelligent birds! Including such genera as crows, jays, ravens, and magpies, corvids have puzzle solving capabilities that rival those of even human toddlers. In one famous experiment, crows used their prior experience with certain tools to solve an entirely novel puzzle in order to get a tasty reward! I don’t want to spoil all the details for you, so check out this video from BBC Earth to learn more.

In addition to their remarkable intellect, American Crows also play vital roles in our natural Vermont ecosystem. Crows are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders, which means they tend to eat anything under the sun. While this can lead to the classic scene of a group of crows eating someone’s discarded fast food fries on the side of the highway, it also means that they will help pick clean animal carcasses. Crows and other scavengers that share this most unglamorous ecological niche are important for curbing the spread of disease-causing pathogens by cleaning away meat before it is given the chance to rot and incubate bacteria.

So while they may appear to be a spooky bird with some creepy connotations, just remember that when you see an abundance of crows, you are seeing a sign of a healthy and balanced ecosystem.

Learn more about crows with the following Audubon resources:

How to Tell a Raven from a Crow

Think Crow Funerals are Strange? Wait Until You See a Wake

Meet the Bird Brainiacs: American Crow

How to Tell the Difference Between Crows

What Are Crows Doing in Winter?