Corvids. You may not recognize them by their scientific name, but they pervade every area of your life.

These large, black birds have been associated with all things foreboding and frightening. In films, the universal signal that something bad is about to happen is the sound of a corvid cawing eerily in the distance. In fact, a group of them is known as a murder.

But for most people, these birds are more of a nuisance than a scare. Ever woken up at the crack of dawn because you heard one incessantly cawing in your backyard?

You may have guessed it—these birds are crows! Crows are part of the corvidae family, which includes ravens and lesser-known birds such as rooks and jackdaws. They are found in every part of the world except southern South America and Antarctica.

Despite their bad rap, crows are one of the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. They have a brain-to-body-mass ratio equal to that of apes and similar to that of humans.

This is evident in their ability to use and create tools. Crows in New Caledonia, an island in the South Pacific, learned to pick off branches from trees and whittle them to create fork-like utensils used to dig out insects inside tree branches. This proves their ability to problem-solve several steps in advance, which is a characteristic limited to very few animals.

In addition, corvids are social. A family of crows work together not only to hunt, gather and defend young, but also to communicate with each other to establish a “code” of security. When a crow is attacked, it will “inform” the rest of the family to take note of the offender by relentlessly cawing in the offender’s presence. These scoldings also teach young crows to mark a threat, and crows can memorize individual faces for years.

Crows are one of the few animals that enjoy play. For instance, Asian crows have been observed instigating fights between two cats, and then seem to gleefully watch the catfight while jumping up and down. A popular internet video shows a crow repeatedly sliding down a snowy roof in Russia on a lid.

Even more stunning, crows can mimic human language! According to Encyclopaedia Britannica: “They have been trained to count aloud up to seven, and some crows have learned more than 100 words and up to 50 complete sentences; others have been known to mimic their owners’ voices in order to call dogs and taunt horses.”

This desire to play is one of the reasons they are intelligent creatures. Experimentation teaches them to observe patterns and see cause and effect in action—an ability few animals possess.

Another reason they are so intelligent is the time it takes for them to develop. Young crows can sometimes remain dependent on parents for up to six years! All of this time allows them to observe the world around them and learn from their parents. This makes them very adept at watching, learning and memorizing patterns.

They also use their intelligence to satisfy their varied diet. As omnivores, corvids feed on berries, plants, insects and meat. Because of this, they must learn many methods by which to obtain those foods.

For example, crows in Japan have learned to drop walnuts from a height high enough so they crack open, but low enough that they do not shatter. In addition, they know to only drop them on roads when traffic lights turn red so as to avoid moving vehicles.

Realize God’s creative power in making a creature that, though not as intelligent as human beings, is capable of many things humans do: problem-solving, observing, memorizing and playing.

And remember, while we may not always be watching them, they may be watching us. Take note of the next crow you encounter—he may be smarter than you may think!