Scientific name: Corvus frugilegus Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Crows
Field characters. 46 cm. One of the larger corvids. Adults have a black plumage with a faint purplish sheen, with a bare, pale grey face and a slender, attenuated grey bill (becomes darker towards tip); flank feathers hang loose over thighs, giving baggy impression to legs. Juveniles have feathered face, making then hard to distinguish from crows, but bill-shape and "trousers" prevent confusion. Forms flocks of up to hundreds, and mingles commonly with Jackdaw. Breeds in large chaotic colonies, in which birds steal twigs from each other and quarrel all the time.
Voice. A wide vocabulary of screeching, barking and croaking sounds; usually a clear and high-pitched "kaaah". Juveniles are apparently silent.
Distribution. Locally a fairly common resident; northernmost populations migrate south-westward during winter.
Habitat. Often associated with small- to medium-sized human settlements, and has a liking for agricultural areas with at least enough trees to roost and nest. Not regularly found on uncultivated land; avoids thickly forested regions.
Food. Mainly plant matter of all kinds (e.g. fruits, crops, berries, roots), but also invertebrates and small vertebrates, such as mice, voles and birds' chicks. Sometimes eggs from other Rooks.