"Research published last year in the Scientific American also showed the raven to be one of the most intelligent species on the planet - up there with dolphins and apes and, unlike most other birds and animals, capable of learning from their own actions and from observing others' behaviour.

They're thought to be one of the few birds that can count, and some have even learned to fashion leaves into special tools for extracting grubs from crevices in trees.

In Japan, they were reportedly found dropping nuts onto a dual-carriageway, then darting down to eat them once the cars had cracked them open.

Although older ravens (they live up to 25 years) mate for life and travel in pairs, young birds may form flocks of up to several hundred - collective nouns for ravens include an "unkindness", a "conspiracy", and a "murder" - which swoop on farm animals"

Creepy.

Crows are almost as mean, especially when they have a nest and young. They will swoop and attack anyone who comes what they think is too close. What's scary to me is some crows have built a nest at the front of my bldg in a holly tree, my apt patio is within a few feet of that tree and my grandchildren play out there and I set up their kiddy pool on the lawn.