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Rook

Corvus frugilegus

The rook has a deeper and harsher voice than the hooded crow.  Photo Jan Nyman

General information. The rook is a typical bird species in the vast farmlands of central Europe and started spreading to Finland during the 1870’s. During the early 1900’s, established populations could be found in Satakunta, Etelä Pohjanmaa and and northern Pohjanmaa. The largest populations are currently found in Oulu and Pori.

  • Length 47 cm
  • Nests high up in deciduous – or coniferous trees. The same tree may house multiple nests
  • Winters in western Europe
  • Feeds on seeds, grain, earth worms, insects, moles

Habitat. The rook is a species typically found in cultural landscapes. It prefers nesting in urban parks and small woodlands in the countryside and is absent from expansive, uniform forest areas.

Distribution in Vaasa. A total of 13 locations with nesting rooks where observed during the bird atlas field work conducted from March to July 2005-2008. Tree rookeries were found; in Klemettilä, Vaskiluoto and the Gustavsborg beach. A handful of pairs were possibly nesting along the Korsholmapuistikko-street and in the southern parts of the Sundominlahti bay.