Rooks hitting “hard”times? (1 Viewer)

[KenM]

Not living near agricultural land, I don’t often encounter Rooks, occasionally getting a flyover albeit certainly not annually.
It came as a surprise to me sitting in Costa’s (Epping) c6 miles North of my abode, when I noted a Feral pigeon,Jackdaw and a freshly arrived “Rook” on the kerb (not where I would expect to see one?).
With the latter taking pole position on kerb edge, clearly showing interest in the (out of view) gutter.
Upon leaving, I strolled over to the kerb side to see a discarded “sausage roll”, didn’t realise that Rooks scavenged…but it was a -3 day😮

 

[Farnboro John]

Rooks at Slimbridge WWT are as habituated by taking tourists' offerings as Jackdaws, Magpies or Carrion Crows (in fact its an ace place to photograph them, just ignore the collection!) Like other corvids they are intelligent opportunists albeit with a traditionalist lifestyle given the chance.

John

 

[Stonefaction]

Similar story in St Andrews (a few years ago, at least), with the birds even taking food from your hand. I was eating my lunch on a bird club outing with a Rook stood watching just a few feet away. I held out my hand with a crisp I was eating and the Rook hopped forward and took it without any fear.

https://flic.kr/p/auiBvp

 

[Paul Chapman]

Rooks at Slimbridge WWT are as habituated by taking tourists' offerings as Jackdaws, Magpies or Carrion Crows (in fact its an ace place to photograph them, just ignore the collection!) Like other corvids they are intelligent opportunists albeit with a traditionalist lifestyle given the chance.

John

Indeed. It is also the case at motorway services where Rooks will scrabble around the carparks & bins at for instance Reading and Sedgemoor Services.

All the best

Paul

 

[Jos Stratford]

Standard city bird in Lithuania, especially in winter (when rare or migratory in rural areas)

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Some motorway service birds have learned how to pull rubbish sacks up, step on them, pull again and repeat until they can scavenge items from the bottom of the sack.