Details
Corvus frugilegus
Rook is a crow relative that forms large breeding colonies around farmland and towns. It is sometimes treated as an agricultural pest but also consumes many soil invertebrates.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It lives in farmland, grassland, pastures, parks, and wooded towns across Europe and Asia. Main habitat types in this guide are grassland, urban, forest.
Typical wingspan 81-99 cm, weight 280 g-340 g. Glossy black plumage and a pale bare patch at the base of the adult bill are distinctive.
It is diurnal and colonial or group-living. It nests communally in tall trees and walks over open ground to feed.
It is omnivorous. Insects, earthworms, seeds, grain, carrion, and human scraps are eaten.
Eggs are incubated in stick nests within rookeries, and chicks are fed by both parents.
Although still widespread in places, it remains sensitive to habitat change. It is sometimes treated as an agricultural pest but also consumes many soil invertebrates.
