Crows and jays · Perching birds
Rook
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Corvus frugilegus
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Voice
Call
Song
Call
How to recognize it
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About 45 cm long
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Adults: bare whitish skin at the bill base; juveniles feathered there
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Often in flocks, striding on the ground and probing soil with a strong bill
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Harsh, less raucous caw, usually a single call in flight: "kaah"
About the species
Black feathers can show a blue-purple sheen in bright light. Adults have bare whitish skin around the bill and in front of the eyes, with shaggy feathers around the legs. In juveniles, feathers still cover the base of the bill; the pale patch appears as they mature.
They feed in flocks, striding across fields and probing the soil with strong bills. Their rough “caw” carries from a perch or in flight, and at dusk they gather at nesting colonies before moving to communal roosts. In autumn, smaller groups merge into larger flocks, often alongside jackdaws.
Look for them over open farmland and pasture, often near farms and villages where tall trees offer nesting sites. They search mainly for earthworms and insect larvae, but also eat grain and other plant foods. Most stay year-round, though those in the far north may move south in autumn to avoid the harshest winter weather.
Did you know?
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Wintering at their own nests
Over forty years the rook's wintering boundary has shifted far to the northeast: many pairs stop migrating altogether and winter beside their own nests, even setting about refurbishing the structure in a mild December.
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Where to find
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Across arable fields and pasture, watch rooks stride over the ground and probe the soil for worms and insect larvae.
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In spring near farms, villages and open towns, listen for cawing near the tops of tall trees — colonies gather there to nest.
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On quiet city streets and at rubbish dumps, look in the early hours or at dusk for feeding on human food scraps.
