Rook
Corvus frugilegus (label: Corvidae sp.)
Where is it found?
Forests, savannah, grassland, farmland and urban areas
Diet and foraging method
Key adaptations
Strong beak for probing the ground for food.
Social organisation and mating system
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 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
"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