Rook

Description:

All black plumage which at certain angles shows reddish-lilac gloss. Adult told by bare whitish-grey skin around bill base and lack of nostril feathering. Has flat forehead, peaked crown and 'short nape', flattened breast and amply belly.

Habitat:

Breeds in colonies (rookeries) in agricultural areas. Builds loose stick nests close together in crowns of tree clumps near farms and in villages. In spring, before trees in leaf, nests look like large witches' brooms. Forages in flocks on ploughed fields, on pasture and along distchsides.