CHAPTER XVI 



THE MIGRATIONS OF THE ROOK, CORVUS FRUGILEGUS 



The Rook is a summer visitor to North - Western 

 Europe, and is migratory to a considerable extent in 

 the Central portions of the Continent. From both these 

 areas the bird seeks Great Britain in the autumn as 

 a winter retreat, departing again in the spring. Some 

 Rooks — the members of a migratory British race — 

 leave England, departing from the southern shores in 

 the autumn, and though such emigrations or passages 

 are somewhat scantily recorded, yet the corresponding 

 return migrations in the spring are regularly chronicled. 

 A similar spring immigration is also observed on the 

 south-east coast of Ireland. The above-mentioned 

 movements constitute the regular migrations of the 

 Rook as observed in Great Britain and Ireland. 



In addition, some irregular migrations and inter- 

 mio'rations come under notice, for the bird is much 

 CTiven to wandering, especially after the close of the 

 breeding season and during the summer, when flocks 

 consisting of old and young visit the vicinity of the 

 coast and some of the neighbouring islands, food of a 

 particular nature being, presumably, the main incentive 

 to these roving movements. In the autumn and winter 

 there are daily movements between feeding-areas and 



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