BLACK BEAUTIES

BRIGHT, COLORFUL BIRDS get all the glory, but these captivating coal-colored creatures are fun to encounter, even if some of them are a bit spooky looking.

- KELSEY ROSETH

Crows and their larger cousins, the ravens, are often represented in fables and folklore. Seeing a single crow is bad luck in some cultures.

AMERICAN CROW

These super smart, big birds are jet black from crown to claw, and they can be heard cawing across the continent. Crows are ground feeders and eat almost anything: carrion, chicks, small animals, seeds, insects, earthworms, and more.

Trudy Stone, a backyard birder based in Nashville, Tennessee, respects crows for their intelligence. When she was young, Trudy's family had regular run-ins with crows, which used to collect her mom's Coppertone caps as she sat out sunbathing. "They'd steal the tops, and then they had a hidy-hole they'd put them in," she recalls.

American crows previously lived primarily in rural areas, but their habitat has changed over time. These clever creatures have used their smarts to adapt to life in cities, and are now common fixtures in urban birding.

COMMON GRACKLE

Look for glossy iridescent features on these long-tailed, beautiful blackbirds. Residing east of the Rocky Mountains, the ground feeders use their long legs to walk in lawns and fields, eating anything edible, from crops to food castoffs.