Corvus frugilegus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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. Rooks nest collectively in the tops of tall trees, often close to farms or villages; the groups of nests are known as rookeries.
Rooks are mainly resident birds, but the northernmost populations may migrate southwards to avoid the harshest winter conditions. The birds form flocks in winter, often in the company of other Corvus species or jackdaws. They return to their rookeries, and breeding takes place in spring. They forage on arable land and pasture, probing the ground with their strong bills and feeding largely on grubs and soil-based invertebrates, but they also consume cereals and other plant material. Historically, farmers have accused the birds of damaging their crops and have made efforts to drive them away or kill them. Like other corvids, they are intelligent birds with complex behavioural traits and an ability to solve simple problems. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 5 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 6 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Gauja National Park | 🇱🇻 Latvia | |
| 10 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgrade | 🇷🇸 Serbia | |
| 2 | Mashhad | 🇮🇷 Iran | |
| 3 | Karaj | 🇮🇷 Iran | |
| 4 | Kharkiv | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 5 | Warsaw | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 6 | Bishkek | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | |
| 7 | Bucharest | 🇷🇴 Romania | |
| 8 | Rostov-on-Don | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 9 | Minsk | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
| 10 | Ulaanbaatar | 🇲🇳 Mongolia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tallinn Zoo | 🇪🇪 Estonia | |
| 2 | Marwell Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Staglands Wildlife Reserve | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Leningrad Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Willowbank Wildlife Reserve | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Observatoire aquatique | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Ogród Zoologiczny w Katowicach | 🇵🇱 Poland |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rook sighting in Moscow on a given day, based on 282 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 66th most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rook in Moscow on a given day, against under 5% in April to September, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rook sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
42nd of 60
Of the 60 cities where we can rate Rook sightings, Moscow ranks 42nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Belgrade (Serbia, about 60%), Mashhad (Iran, about 60%) and Karaj (Iran, about 60%).
Same genus: Corvus
The closest relatives of the Rook that you can see in Moscow (genus Corvus, Crows and Ravens) are Hooded Crow (about 80%) and Common Raven (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rook is recorded against all the birds logged in Moscow (282 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
