Rooks (Focus - March)

Although not always appreciated by those who live nearby, the calls of rooks from a busy rookery are all part of the arrival of spring. Rooks are sociable birds and generally nest communally. From February onwards, they have been repairing damage to old nests or building new ones for the breeding season. Frequently, they will steal twigs and other nesting material from a neighbouring nest, leading to noisy squabbles over ownership.

​Although youngsters, with their all-black beaks, can be mistaken for crows, adults are distinguished by the visible, large area of white skin in front of the eye at the base of the bill. This makes the beak appear longer than it actually is and, to some, makes the bird look rather sinister. They also have somewhat shaggy plumage around their legs—something absent from the similar-sized crow. So sociable are rooks that they are usually seen in flocks. This is not a hard-and-fast rule, but I remember being told years ago: “if you see a flock of crows, they’re rooks; and if you see a rook on its own, it’s a crow.”

In winter, they often flock together with jackdaws, but as spring approaches they go their separate ways, as jackdaws prefer to nest in holes and on buildings. A rook’s diet includes fruits, nuts, seeds, acorns, and berries. The strong, anvil-like beak is well-adapted for probing soil to seek out earthworms and insect larvae, which make up most of the rest of their diet. To find such food, they prefer open agricultural land, pasture, and arable land, provided there are tall trees nearby in which to nest. They appear more than happy to build rookeries in and around farms, villages, and towns, and are willing to fly good distances between rookeries or roosting sites and where they gather food.

However, they don’t seem to like large woodlands; while you will often hear crows and ravens in Great Ridge or Grovely Woods, rooks will only be found in the surrounding farmland. They also avoid heaths and moors and are generally confined to lowland areas. Like other corvids, they are clever and resilient creatures. There was a one-legged bird that frequented our garden for several years, but as the average lifespan is only six years, it may have led a full life despite its disability.

​Andrew Graham