Crows are fascinating beasts of the air. A murder of crows—what does that mean? The term dates to the 1400s when groups of game animals were given names:

Raft of ducks

Gaggle of geese

Unkindness of ravens

Cast of hawks

Murder of crows—these dark birds were often superstitiously associated with death. Crows will eat insects, seeds, fruits, eggs, and small animals. Studies show crows are intelligent, use tools, and remember the faces of humans they do not like. Their brains are smaller for flight, but those nerve cells are tightly packed. Crows may be as clever as gorillas.

Crows also feature in famous art works by Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rudi Hurzlmeier’s fantastic beast ‘Krahe.’ The talented young artist Fae Hull created the dramatic crow on our cover.

Krahe by Rudi Herzlmeier.