Maybe some group of aliens distributed oil and other valuable minerals unevenly across the Earth, and now they're watching and laughing and running betting pools.

Yeah, you have to be careful to share the goods evenly among corvids. If you favor one individual, it can be exiled, or even attacked and killed by the others. A crow that is good at getting your attention rises in status if you make sure that there is enough to go around for the group.

True or not, this story is amazing.

Reminds me of http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=59

What!? That's not the end though. There was a second part where the crow factions fight.

I hope someone saved it!