Eiichi Izawa of Keio University in Tokyo calls them "feathered primates." In Japanese folklore they are the origin of the forest demons known as karasu tengu. Scientists classify them as Corvus macrorhynchos.

The rest of us know them as jungle crows.

Few animals are as ubiquitous in modern Japan as the crow — there are an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 in Tokyo alone. In the Japanese psyche they occupy a niche similar to that filled by tengu demons in feudal times, shifting between being hated and vilified pests and fascinating, resourceful and intelligent animals.