Rook vs. Crow, Netherlands (1 Viewer)

[coltrv]

I have been enjoying my first time birding in Europe this last week. However, I have been looking for Rooks and haven’t successfully identified any yet. This individual seemed quite large and the bill seems fairly long, so could it be an immature Rook? This was today near Gouderak, Netherlands.

 

[Butty]

Size isn't an ID feature (and judging the size of a lone bird is notoriously unreliable). This one strikes me as an unremarkable carrion crow. Find a flock of all-black-plumaged corvids in an open field, and you will probably have scored 👍🏻

 

[coltrv]

Size isn't an ID feature (and judging the size of a lone bird is notoriously unreliable). This one strikes me as an unremarkable carrion crow. Find a flock of all-black-plumaged corvids in an open field, and you will probably have scored 👍🏻

Thank you.

 

[coltrv]

So if I find a flock of corvids, how would I tell an immature Rook from a Carrion Crow if it doesn’t have the white face?

 

[Butty]

Tricky. But not likely to be an issue in the circumstances I outlined above.

 

[coltrv]

Tricky. But not likely to be an issue in the circumstances I outlined above.

So you’re saying if I see them side-by-side it will be fairly obvious?

 

[Butty]

No, I'm saying that in the circumstances I outlined above you will see adults!

 

[coltrv]

No, I'm saying that in the circumstances I outlined above you will see adults!

Ok, then I must be in a bad location for them because I’ve seen numerous groups of corvids but so far none of them have had white faces.

 

[Butty]

open field

Low, recently-planted, or harvested crops - in a region where they live, obviously.

 

[Xenospiza]

Ok, then I must be in a bad location for them because I’ve seen numerous groups of corvids but so far none of them have had white faces.

They are somewhat local in the Netherlands preferring sandy clay soils. You may be out of luck if you're mostly in the province of Zuid-Holland.
Most large flocks of corvids will indeed be Carrion Crows and Jackdaws.
Sightings proven with photographs this spring:

Waarneming.nl

Waarneming.nl wil iedereen in staat stellen om waarnemingen op te slaan en te delen, om zo de kennis van de natuur te vergroten.

waarneming.nl

 

[stevethehydra]

I actually get more of a juv Rook impression from (this one photo of) this bird:

• bill looks long, pointed and "straight-sided" rather than curved on the top side
• head looks small
• wings look quite long/protruding (admittedly hard to tell from the angle)
• it generally has a kind of "shabby", angular look, rather than the "smooth", aerodynamic look typical of Carrion crow (I always think Rooks look kind of "scarecrow-like" - ironic as they're the main "crows" that scarecrows were intended to scare off!)

But I'm by no means 100% sure and it could well be proven to be a Carrion crow by further photos and/or calls...

 

[njlarsen]

I wonder if there is a difference carrion vs hooded crow or just a geographic difference. Where I originally came from (Denmark) crows (= hooded mostly) were pairwise during breeding season, and only outside of breeding season did you see them in flocks. I would expect June still to be breeding?
Niels

 

[stevethehydra]

Carrion Crows don't flock like Rooks, but it's pretty common to see largish numbers of them scattered over an area (urban parks/golf courses/football fields/etc) which could give an impression of a flock.

 

[david kelly]

Carrion Crows don't flock like Rooks, but it's pretty common to see largish numbers of them scattered over an area (urban parks/golf courses/football fields/etc) which could give an impression of a flock.

That's a bit of an urban myth. Carrion Crows do flock. Their flocks do not tend to be as numerous as Jackdaws or Rooks but I have seen flocks here in East Lothian many times. Another way to tell a Rook from a Carrion Crow is on call, "a rook sounds like a crow that's been on an anger management course".

David