Is there no greater friendship than that among children? I have wonderful memories of my childhood friends and the many exciting adventures we shared. But there was one friend that was a little different. This friend had two legs and a full body of feathers. He was bold and unpredictable. Crows often behave that way, and my friend Blacky was no different.

It happened when I was about 8 years old. My friend and I were playing ball on the lawn when a crow swooped down and landed on my shoulder. I was as afraid as I was thrilled. My interest in birds had already taken root, but the experience was indelible. For three weeks the crow remained loyal; it followed us around the neighborhood and seemed always to be watching us. Each day the bird became more relaxed and spent more time upon our shoulders.

We were entertained by his mischievous behavior. Unfortunately, it was such behavior that earned him a powerful blast from a garden hose after unclipping the clothespins off Mrs. Yarmitzkie’s laundry. We never saw Blacky after that. He flew off in amplified defiance, as if betrayed by us humans. Calling out ruefully, he flew around the neighborhood for the last time and then higher he went.

Since then, I have had a love for crows and their allies, the corvidea. They are the intellectuals among birds, as are jays and ravens. For years, ornithologists have known the intelligence of these birds, but recently, thanks to researchers such as Bernd Heinrich, we now have a better understanding of just how clever these birds are.

It has been determined that crows and especially ravens have memories that rival those of humans. There is one study of ravens that proves their memories superior to the Ph.D. students that studied them. Heinrich, a researcher at the University of Vermont, discussed his hypothesis that ravens may be capable of altruistic behavior in his book “Ravens in Winter.”

Lawrence Kilham explored similar questions in his account of crows and ravens. Both men offer insights into these magnificent birds gained through observations in the wild and through special moments with captive tame birds. I relish both as each described the personalities of individual birds and thus reminded me of Blacky.

While deep questions are being explored by gifted scholars such as Heinrich and Lawrence, insights and discoveries are available to all of us, as the crow is an abundant and readily observable bird. This is especially noted at sunset, when hundreds of crows can be seen flying into the cities. You may recall looking out from your car window over the somber sky and seeing one, two, and then dozens of crows in a slow steady parade. These birds are flying to their roosts. Some behaviors are less conspicuous.

Few have heard the “song” of the crow, but when in remote settings, crows have been known to perform. Crows, like jays, have some mimicking ability, too. Limited “tool use” has been observed and crows work great together to distract, confuse, play with and tease a wide variety of rivals, enemies, birders and prey. So keep your eyes open, and if a crow lands on your shoulder, call it Blacky.

Robert Tougias is a birding author who lives in Colchester. He is available for presentations and will answer questions at rtougias@snet.net.