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The rook (Corvus frugilegus) is a member of the family Corvidae in the passerine order of birds. It is found in the Palearctic, its range extending from Scandinavia and western Europe to eastern Siberia. It is a large, gregarious, black-feathered bird, distinguished from similar species by the whitish featherless area on the face.
Corvidae is a cosmopolitan family of oscine passerine birds that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jackdaws, jays, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. [1] [2] [3] In colloquial English, they are known as the crow family or corvids. Currently, 139 species are included in this family.
A rookery is a colony breeding rooks, and more broadly a colony of several types of breeding animals, generally gregarious [1] birds. [2] Coming from the nesting habits of rooks, the term is used for corvids and the breeding grounds [3] of colony-forming seabirds, marine mammals (true seals or sea lions), and even some turtles.
Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) in flight Jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) scavenging on a dead shark at a beach in Kumamoto, Japan. Medium-large species are ascribed to the genus, ranging from 34 cm (13 in) of some small Mexican species to 60–70 cm (24–28 in) of the large common raven and thick-billed raven, which together with the lyrebird represent the larger passerines.
A small, freely-moving projection on the anterior edge of the wing of modern birds (and a few non-avian dinosaurs)—a bird's "thumb"—the word is Latin and means 'winglet'; it is the diminutive of ala, meaning 'wing'. Alula typically bear three to five small flight feathers, with the exact number depending on the species.
In heraldry, crows, rooks, and ravens are not distinguished from each other. As with all birds that are not eagles, a crow or raven is depicted by default as close, but they can uniquely be blazoned as speaking. Crows may also be called corbies, as in the canting arms of Corbet. [1]
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Rooks and crows are classic game for the larger falcons, and the magpie, making up in cunning what it lacks in flying ability, is another common target. Short-wings can be flown in both open and wooded country against a variety of bird and small mammal prey.