I’ve been feeding my local crows unsalted shelled peanuts for more than five years. They know me and fly into the tree above my driveway and caw when they see me. They’re still not at all comfortable around me and won’t come down for the nuts until I go back inside. They’ve never given me any kind of gift unless you count the bird shit on my car.

They’re like a Marvel movie in terms of power comparison. If a hawk shows up, they will chase it away. Meanwhile, a single bluejay a tenth their size will chase off five crows by itself. And the crows will just stand there glumly watching a squirrel eat all their peanuts.