With their sleek, black feathers, 3-foot wingspan, and dark eyes, crows don’t exactly fit the profile of the delicate songbirds so often befriended by animated, forest-dwelling princesses. But here in the real world, these super-smart birds are unexpected stars of social media, where users on CrowTok show off the ways they connect with their local corvids.

Videos show crows leaving small items in exchange for food and interacting with their human neighbors. But whether you should—or can—truly befriend a crow is up for debate. We asked bird experts to weigh in on crows’ ability to recognize us, their penchant for leaving gifts after finding food in a backyard, and tips for safely befriending them.

Why Crows?

The human-crow connections featured on CrowTok look very different from the interactions between the two species in previous generations. “In the 19th and early 20th centuries, crows had a mostly adversarial relationship with humans,” says Bob Mulvihill, ornithologist at the National Aviary. “Put simply, humans did not want crows around. They made scarecrows in an effort to protect their gardens, they feared crows might kill newborn livestock, and they even killed crows on sight.”

But since the early 1900s, the relationship has evolved, thanks in part to conservation efforts. “For the last century, crows and all our native birds enjoy strong legal protections, and a new and different crow-human relationship has emerged as a result, especially in urban areas,” says Mulvihill. “In cities, crows are rarely in direct competition with humans, and often they can benefit from what humans leave behind (e.g., road-killed animals and edible garbage) and what we put out for them in our backyard bird feeders, such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet.”

If you’re going to attempt to befriend a wild bird, crows have a key quality that makes them a likely option: They’re incredibly smart. They’re members of the corvid family, a group of birds that includes ravens, jays, and rooks. Some researchers believe crows can be as clever as great apes or elementary-school-aged children. Crows also have a unique ability to recognize human faces, so they’ll know if you—or your neighbor—scattered that food.

“Crows are very intelligent animals,” says Karina Jiménez, communications associate for Audubon Florida. “A famous study (Marzluff 2012) observed brain activity to confirm that crows can differentiate between human faces and remember which ones are friendly (those that have fed them) or dangerous (those that have tried to capture them).”

Can You Really Befriend a Crow?

Developing a relationship with a neighborhood crow isn’t impossible, say the experts. “People may notice a crow watching them closely, and even making eye contact, which is a powerful social signal that says, ‘I’m interested in you,’” says Mulvihill. “The interest could be negative, as when a crow identifies a potential predator and prepares to sound an alarm or attack, but it also can be positive. A crow may show focus and awareness when a person is doing something that it thinks may be beneficial for it, such as tilling the garden and exposing worms or other food items, placing food in a dish for an outdoor pet, or filling the bird feeders.”

The most common assumption of friendship with a crow stems from small trinkets or items they leave behind in exchange for food. “People leave (unsalted) peanuts out, and eventually the crows may leave a gift (could be any random object) that people interpret as a token of thanks,” says Jiménez. But the give-and-take isn’t quite as clear-cut as it looks. “What’s probably happening here: Young crows in particular will pick up anything as they’re learning about the world, trying to find out what’s useful or not. When they happen upon a free peanut feast, it makes sense that they put down the last object they were carrying so that they can focus on eating,” says Jiménez.

This doesn’t really qualify as a friendship—though there might be more intentionality from the crows than you’d think. “I don’t want to insult their intelligence,” Jiménez clarifies. “They might also be manipulating you. If a crow realizes that they got more food after they left an object, they might bring another one to get more food. The pattern seems like gratitude, but it’s more like cause and effect.”

Should You Befriend a Crow?

In general, experts caution against trying to befriend a wild animal. “An animal that learns to trust one human being may have its guard down when it comes to interactions with another human who is not interested in ‘being friends,’ so to speak,” says Mulvihill. “That has the potential to affect the natural fear and avoidance responses the animal needs to avoid danger and stay safe. Conversely, a loss of natural fear of humans in a wild animal can greatly increase danger for other humans when the wild animal anticipates receiving food, approaches too closely, and becomes destructive, or even dangerous.”

However, Mulvihill notes that this is rarely a side effect of putting out bird food. “Of course, not all animals are the same, and many pose no danger to humans or themselves by accepting offerings from humans—otherwise the multi-billion-dollar bird feeding industry would not exist,” he says.

Tips for Safely Befriending a Crow

If you do want to draw crows to your yard with a simple hope of connecting with nature, consider these expert tips.

Offer the Right Food

As opportunistic omnivores, crows will eat anything—even trash, says Jiménez—but you still want to offer safe foods. “Birds do not thrive on junk food any more than we do,” says Mulvihill. “Try to feed them only what they can find in nature; avoid feeding them anything that has salt or added sugar.” Peanuts are a favorite of crows; opt for unsalted peanuts to avoid extra sodium.

Prepare for a Crowd

Offering food doesn’t guarantee that a crow will become a regular visitor—but it also doesn’t guarantee that only one crow will make your yard a consistent stop. “Crows are social birds, so once word gets out that your house is a buffet, you might get far more ‘customers’ than you bargained for,” says Jiménez. “Your neighbors might not be thrilled about that, and on top of causing tension, it could lead to harm for the birds themselves … some people view crows and similar birds as a nuisance and may go to extreme measures to drive them away.”

Watch for Signs of Illness

Sick birds aren’t typically a health risk for humans, says Mulvihill, but it’s better to be precautionary. “Whenever we invite wild birds to our yards, including crows, we do need to be cautious about any birds that appear ill—perhaps lethargic, fluffed out, or with closed or puffy eyes,” he says. “That said, if a healthy-looking crow should happen to bring a trinket gift and leave it near where you have given it food in the past, it is safe to pick the trinket up. Simply wash it and your hands very well afterward.”

Don’t Forget About Other Backyard Birds

While you’re feeding crows, remember to put out a bird feeder for other birds, too. “Whereas crows are omnivores and can eat just about anything, many migratory bird species rely on native plants, seeds, and berries to fuel their long journeys,” says Jiménez. “So a well-maintained bird feeder can really make a positive impact on these birds’ migration travels. A feeder is more helpful from a conservation standpoint, as a wider variety of birds can visit those and they depend on a much more specified diet that is increasingly hard to find in developed areas.”