Rook

In this blog post I will be ID'ing a common bird known in English as a Rook (Corvus frugilegus). They are situated in the family Corvidae which is also home to Eurasian jays (Garrulus lidthi) and the Carrion crow (Corvus corone). The family is described as being one of the most intelligent in the order Aves with the capability to use tools, Rooks in captivity have even been recorded to bend wire into the shape of hooks to pull in food outside their avairy. The Rook is a medium sized perching bird and is often seen in intra-specific groups which are called Parliments. Although many species within the family look similar it is easy to distinguish the Rook as it is the only Corvid to have bare grey/white skin in front of the bill and eyes (although juveniles are trickier as they lack the grey to begin with).

Size : 45- 47 cm ( 18-19 inches) with an 81-99 cm wingspan (32-39 inches) 
Ecology: British isles and Central Europe, Iceland and Scandinavia 
Sexual Dimorphism : No
Habitat : Farmland, forests and marshes
Conservation status: Least concern
The Rook is a monogamous bird - the bird will pair and mate with one partner during its life- but will repair if the partner is killed. To find their mate for life the Rook will flock together in large numbers along with Jackdaws (Coleous monedula) in the summer and will put on an aerobatic display to one another to find a suitable mate. Rooks colonially nest in one area known as a Rookery and will typically lay around 3-5 eggs during early March. The eggs hatch after 16-18 days and the chick will be fed by both parents until they fledge on the 33rd day since hatching. The diet of the Rook is predominantly made up of earthworms and larvae but as a scavenger it will also ingest small mammals and rubbish if in urban areas. 

Although very similar to a Carrion crow the beak of a young Rook is thinner and the head rounder.

The series of Rooks that I have photographed in this blog were taken up at the Devils Chimney which is a large waterfall in County Donegal. There was a small cafe at the car parking area to go and see the waterfall and this is where I found a huge rookery, of course all of the Rooks were smart enough to linger around the cafe benches outside for any stray pieces of food (See one of my photos below for it with a Mccoy's Crisp!) that careless tourists may have dropped. I was lucky enough to get close to these birds as they were used to scavenging off people. Although many consider most members of the Corvid family to be pests I would disagree, they are scavengers in nature meaning they ensure diseases cannot spread and clean up our ecosystem! 

Although out of focus sadly on the head I did find it a funny site.

Unlike a Crow or Raven I find the Rook to have a much more prominent bill and a wider head which is covered in short feathers.

This photo really shows how large that beak is.