House Crows Corvus splendens are among the most common birds we see in our garden in India. they are immensely fond of running water so when we water our coconut trees they gather round in groups up to a dozen or more. while they belong in the natural ecosystem throughout much of Asia they thrive around human habitation to the extent that these areas are almost exclusively where they reside. they are highly intelligent and social and known to use tools. they love water, especially running water. so when we water our flowers and coconut trees they gather round in groups up to one dozen or more. they are basically scavengers always on the lookout for some scraps but can feed on anything edible.
they tend to be rather aggressive toward other birds, both smaller and larger. it is not uncommon to see them chasing Brahminy Kites and even disrupting their nests. moreover they chase and disturb smaller songbirds, one of their odd behaviors is contaminating the water we put out for all birds. they find rotting things like discarded fish innards and drop them in the bowls. when they do that other species of birds avoid the water so we tend to believe the crows do it to have the water for themselves. it's a point of contention making us less enthusiastic about having them around the garden.
but one place it's nicer to observe them is on and around the fishing boats on the beach. they follow the fishermen cleaning their nests with great interest occasionally snapping up something the fishermen discard on the sand. in that regard they compete with the ever hungry stray dogs. but while the crows may fight among themselves over a particular morsel there seems to be mutual respect regarding the dogs