Rook

Corvus frugilegus (label: Corvidae sp.) 

Where is it found?
Forests, savannah, grassland, farmland and urban areas

Diet and foraging method

Feed on the ground by inserting beak into the soil.

Key adaptations

Strong beak for probing the ground for food.

Social organisation and mating system

Picture
Live in large groups at a 'rookery'
Within the colony, individuals form socially monogamous pairs for breeding. Cooperative breeders are present at the rookery. These are individuals that help other pairs to rear chicks, despite those chicks not being the progeny of the helper Rook.

Did you know that...?

Rooks are heavily featured in folklore, with some people believing that they forecast rain with certain behaviour and others think Rooks can smell approaching death.

Taxonomy

Picture

Picture credits:

Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Rook-Corvus frugilegus" by Andreas Trepte - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rook-Corvus_frugilegus.jpg#/media/File:Rook-Corvus_frugilegus.jpg
"Corvus frugilegus grach" by Ksenia Palimski - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corvus_frugilegus_grach.JPG#/media/File:Corvus_frugilegus_grach.JPG
"Rook in flight" by foxypar4 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/foxypar4/2203935479/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rook_in_flight.jpg#/media/File:Rook_in_flight.jpg