Rook (Råka)

Characteristics:
The Rook is a large, black crow species (length 45–47 cm) that resembles the Hooded Crow but has several distinctive features.
It has a completely black plumage with a bluish-violet metallic sheen, and adult birds have a bare, greyish-white patch of skin at the base of the bill – a key difference from other crows and ravens.
The bill is long and pointed, and the legs are black.
The Rook can be recognised by its slimmer bill, glossy feathers, and loud, harsh cawing calls.

Habitat:
The Rook breeds mainly in southern and central Sweden, living in open farmland, parks, and villages.
It prefers open landscapes with old trees near fields and pastures.
In winter, most Rooks migrate south, though some remain in milder coastal regions.

Behaviour:
The Rook is a highly social and colonial species.
It lives in large colonies throughout the year, both during breeding and winter.
It is intelligent, alert, and cooperative, often seen foraging in groups with Jackdaws (Corvus monedula).

Diet:
The Rook is omnivorous, feeding mainly on insects, earthworms, seeds, grain, small rodents, and waste.
It forages mostly in fields and grasslands, probing the soil with its long bill.

Reproduction:
Breeding occurs in April–May.
The nest is built of twigs and branches, high up in trees, often in dense colonies called rookeries.
The female lays 3–5 eggs, incubated for about 18–20 days.
The chicks fledge after 4–5 weeks and join the colony’s flock shortly after.

Migration:
The Rook is a partial migrant.
Most Swedish Rooks migrate to northern Europe (e.g., Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany) during winter, returning in early spring.

Distribution:
Widespread across Europe and western Asia.
In Sweden, it breeds mainly in Skåne, Halland, Östergötland, and Västergötland, though the population has declined in recent decades.

Hunting:
The Rook is a game species in Sweden according to the Hunting Ordinance (Bilaga 1).
Hunting season: 16 July – 15 April nationwide.
It is often hunted as decoy hunting, from hides, or as protective hunting when damaging crops.

Firearm class (Sweden):
The species may be hunted with:

• Shotgun, typically using pellet size no. 5–7, or
• Rifle class 4 (permitted for corvids and small game).

Think for the hunting exam:

• Large black crow with bare greyish bill base (adults).
• Nests colonially in tall trees near farmland.
• Eats insects, seeds, small animals, and waste.
• Partial migrant, winters in northern Europe.
• Game species – hunting season 16 July – 15 April.
• Hunted with shotgun or rifle class 4.
• Important insect predator and scavenger in farmland ecosystems.