On the way out to Cedar Key on Thursday, I spotted this American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) perched watchfully on top of a tall snag. The crow was constantly scanning the sky and the surrounding area, which is usually a sign that a bunch more crows are feeding nearby. When I stopped to take some photos, it didn’t take long to spot the others down on the ground eating something. Crows are usually pretty sociable and are usually seen in small to medium sized groups. Often these groups are family groups. When they feed, one bird (or sometimes more than one) finds a place with good visibility to keep an eye out for danger. One cry from these lookouts and the whole flock will fly away or at least fly up into the surrounding trees. American crows are highly intelligent birds and are capable of recognizing familiar people, vehicles, and animals and knowing who is dangerous and who isn’t. Even though they’re a plain black bird, they tend to shine in the sun, and they have bright, intelligent eyes that to me make them quite attractive.