THE ROOK. 



Corvus frugilegus, Linnseus. 

 Plate 21. 



This bird, the best known and most abundant of the Crow family in the 



British Islands, is widely distributed, being less plentiful in the northern parts 



of Scotland, although found nesting as far north as the Orkneys, as well as on 



some of the Outer Hebrides and islands off the west coast of Ireland. Its 



breeding range extends over the greater part of Europe, from Scandinavia 



and northern Russia as far south as Biarritz in France and Modena in Italy, 



and eastwards to the Crimea. After the nesting season a certain migratory 



movement takes place among our home-bred birds, some apparently crossing 



to the Continent ; while birds in the northern portion of Europe migrate 



southwards as winter approaches as far as the Mediterranean countries. Many 



of these migrants come over to winter with us, leaving our shores again in 



March and April for Scandinavia. 



The Rook is peculiarly regular in its habits, returning year after year early 



in February to its old familiar haunts, although the nests are not usually 



completed until the middle of March. The favourite site for a rookery is 



among the topmost branches of tall elms or other trees in parks, or in the 



neighbourhood of cultivated ground, but other situations are often chosen, 



even in the midst of large towns. 



As the season advances the rookery becomes a noisy and busy scene and 



the birds have no scruples in robbing an unguarded nest of its building 



material, causing in consequence much uproar and disturbance. 



The bulky nest is composed of sticks and twigs, either dead or gathered 



fresh from the trees, and lined with fine roots, straws, grass, and sometimes 



wool. It contains five or six eggs, in ground colour pale greenish-blue, 



blotched and marked with greenish-brown. 



The familiar caw of the Rook is known to everyone, and while pairing 



and nest building is in progress the babel of various cries and murmurings 



3 



