Bird school

• Brambling
• Blue tit
• Bullfinch
• Blackbird
• Barn swallow
• Bohemian waxwing
• Black woodpecker
• Black redstart
• Blackcap
• Chaffinch
• Chiffchaff
• Crow
• Coal tit
• Crested tit
• Common swift
• Common treecreeper
• Dunnock
• Fieldfare
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch
• Greater woodpecker
• Garden warbler
• Great tit
• Green woodpecker
• House martin
• House sparrow
• Hawfinch
• Jackdaw
• Linnet
• Long-tailed tit
• Lesser whitethroat
• Lesser spotted woodpecker
• Marsh tit
• Magpie
• Mistle thrush
• Nightingale
• Nuthatch
• Pheasant
• Pied flycatcher
• Redpoll
• Rook
• Redstart
• Robin
• Spotted flycatcher
• Siskin
• Starling
• Song thrush
• Yellowhammer
• Winter wren
• Willow
• Tree sparrow
• Wood pigeon
• White wagtail
• Willow tit
• Whitethroat

The rook

Did you know?

The male

In the mid-50s the rook was severely plagued by pesticides used within agriculture. The numbers decreased in the UK and many colonies disappeared. However, because of changed rules regarding biocide use, the strain of rooks has stabilised again. The rooks live in a lifelong partnership in colonies that are as small as a couple of pairs or as large as about 50.

Appearance
As large as a crow but completely black with a metallic gleam. Has a conspicuous bare greyish white skin area around the beak.

Similar bird
Large and glistening black with a long beak; on many birds a greyish white naked base.

Sounds and song
Reminds of the crow, but hoarser and coarser. May also burr like a raven.

Food and bird tables
Rarely seen at the table.
All-round feeder, both vegetarian and animal. Important parts of its diet are worms, snails, potatoes and trash.

The nest and hollows
The nest looks like a crow’s nest but more loosely assembled. Nests in treetops as a part of a colony.