Looking not-so-much like a Santa with a bag of toys, I see him approaching with his heavy laden bag, not of toys, but of popcorn. The popcorn is a variety stolen from the dumpster behind the local theater, that he collects each morning on his daily three hour walk. Once home, he patiently spreads out equal amounts under the trees in a nearby pasture, certain that by doing so, individual birds will have a better chance of "getting their fair share."

God love him, his spirit is a gentle one that looks out for those around him, especially those provided by Mother Nature. He's an old crow, intent on feeding a bunch of old annoying crows, that I'm sure the rest of the world thinks little of.

They say "a crow can speak for himself" and indeed the bird known as a "crow" is one of the most recognized birds, even by children. What I especially like about them, is that the old crow who delights in feeding them, may not be able to tell them apart, although he sees them day-after-day -- yet the crows can distinguish him from other humans instantly. So, in an often faceless world, there's a measure of comfort knowing that my old crow counts in the world of crows.

American Crows are on average, about twenty inches long and black all over. For many generations, the farmer is well-acquainted with his corn-pulling habit, and even the "scare-crow" does not frighten this highly intelligent bird. Crows are vegetarians to the extent that two-thirds of their diets consist of grain, chiefly corn if they can find it.

American Crows and Blackbirds are not liked by the farmer. Little can be said in their favor, except that at times they eat a large number of cutworms. It is legal here in the U.S. to hunt crows from the end of August to the end of March, and anytime when on your personal private property, if they are creating a nuisance or health hazard. That said, however, you cannot sell them, or any part of their bodies, and you'd better be prepared to show cause if questioned.

What's interesting about that is that, as of July 30, 2009, crows are now considered potential endangered species.  This is because of suspectibility to diseases and dwindling populations in Northern areas. The crow is susceptible to West Nile virus, and for that reason one should never handle a dead crow.

They are early bird migrants, arriving in March, and resorting at once to their nesting places in swamps or woods.

Early in the season, they live on insects, but as soon as grain is sown, they visit the sown fields and help themselves liberally, varying their diet by robbing the nests of smaller birds.

Sometimes crows are guilty of destroying the eggs and young of other small birds. On the other hand, they do much good by destroying injurious insects, mice, and other rodents, and are valuable occasionally as a scavenger. They seem to rejoice in being an outlaw.

When caught young, the crow is easily tamed, though it is likely to be a mischievous pet. It learns to distinguish different members of the family and has been known to show sings of recognition after long absence. It often steals objects and hides them. There are stories that sometimes in the olden days, servants were accused of stealing jewelry, when the real culprit was this noisy pet.

With crows, it comes down to, intelligence and as birds go, crows are among the most intelligent. They are know to be capable of using food crumbs for bait-fishing, they play chicken in the air with each other, and can be taught all kinds of tricks. Some species of crow (New Caledonian Crow for example) are considered exceptionally intelligent because it will use tools to obtain food.

The Fish Crow is very much like the common Crow, but is smaller. It is chiefly a bird of the Southern climates. Many people can't tell the difference between it and the American Crow, unless the two are side-by-side. However, they do have smaller bills, or rather slimmer ones. Their feet are also smaller and shorter.

Probably the most obvious difference is that when they call, the Fish Crow hunch over slightly and tend to fluff their feathers, particularly around the throat. Instead of the "caw" of the American Crow, theirs is more of a "ark-ark-ark" or sometimes a "waw-waw" and more throatier, as if they had a cold.

They get their name from their feeding habit of eating off the ground, and preferably off shallow water while standing in it. You see them feeding frequently near rivers, marshes, and on beaches. Favorite foods are small crustaceans, small crabs, shrimp, and other similar. Even beached fish that are still alive are prey to them. They do eat fruit, nuts, and grains, along with any human food discards.

Blackbirds are closely related to crows, but are much smaller. Both walk, while most birds hop.  Next to sparrows, the blackbird is one of the most numerous of North Armerican land birds.

Generally, other than during mating season, black birds travel in flocks -- large flocks (some estimated at over five million birds in one flock. 

Male black birds are like male roosters, in that they usually have a hareum or or polygamous.

They are mostly considered a nuisance, particularly in rural farming areas as they are capable (if the flock is large enough to destroy whole crops.  Yet, at the same time the number of insects that they consume is vital and very necessary.

The Bronze Grackle, or Crow Blackbird, breeds as far North as Labrador, and winters in the lower Mississippi Valley, in the United States. It is about twelve inches long, and the general color is bronze, with metallic purplish reflection on the neck, throat, wings, and tail.

The name Crow Blackbird is also applied to the Purple Grackle, which does not often go north of the state of Massachusetts. The chief difference is that the purplish reflections are arranged in bars. The female is duller.

The Rusty Blackbird is even smaller than the Crow Blackbird or Bronze Grackle. The plumage of the male is a glossy bluish black. The female is slate color in spring, and rusty brown in the fall and winter. Both have a pointed bill and pale yellow colored eyes.

They prefer forests and damp wet places in either threes or dense shrubs, always near water. Preferred foods are dragonflies and their larva, along with other insects, small fish, and the seeds of plants.

They tend to stay in large flocks and will sometimes join up with flocks of ordinary blackbirds.

Their general populations have dramatically decreased over the last fifty years to the point of being only about fifteen to two percent of what it once was.

The Red-winged Blackbird is distinguished by the patch of red and cream on the shoulders in the male. The female is smaller grayish brown, and heavily streaked with brown or black.

A near relative, the European Starling, has become naturalized and in some sections of the United States become a nuisance.

Ravens and crows are near relatives. The Northern Raven is practically the same as the raven of the Old World. In America it is a bird of the North, though occasionally found south of New England.

It is about twice the size of a crow, and its plumage shows a bluish metallic lustre.

It eats everything, including carrion. It robs the nests of birds with equal relish. It attacks young or sick animals, but will also eat insects, fruit, or grain.

When hatched, the young are more white than black, and at first are fed on food partly digested and disgorged by the mother bird. The parent birds look after them until they are almost full grown. Like the crow, a young raven is easily tamed and may learn to say a number of words.