Crows can even be stately when it suits them.

but sometimes they just can't resist expressing their opionion.

Claire

They are neat birds aren't they? Great pictures !

Great thread of smart birds with pictures, let's see what I can find...

Crow & Raven

Picking up a Tennis ball

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That tennis ball episode is wonderful! Makes me think I should toss out some golf or pingpong balls for the crows to play with.

Claire

Crows with snow on their bills from digging for birdseed. Got milk?

And a crow watching the turkey display from a safe perch, looking both amazed and amused. What are those ridiculous birds doing now?

Claire

Claire awsome shot! The crow watching the turkeys, by the way turkey season started here last week :)

Great shot of the crow & turkeys.Wish we had wild turkeys here. I raised them for a few years and there is no better turkey than a wild one,

Another mostly black and beautiful bird is the Common Grackle. Voracious appetite but can be counted on to eat caterpillars and grubs as well.

I love seeing the threat posture with the bill straight up in the air.

Claire

Is that what they are doing? I thought it was weird that grackles often show up in my yard and point their head into the sky. I am thinking they may be posturing against the other grackles.

Paul

I read somewhere that this is a male to male threat posture and I see it here a lot. Sometimes combined with a swelling up of the feathers and a creaking call, almost like a ritual belch. None of them ever seem to attack the other so I guess it works.

A few weeks ago I was watching a male grackle at the suet feeder when a second male showed up and pointed its bill up, maybe trying to take over the suet. Grackle number one was smaller but pointed its bill up then swelled up and creaked. It must have been very impressive because grackle number two left without any suet.

Claire

Well yay, so that's what the cowbirds are doing too I bet. Thanks Claire!