01/2020
Some may think that we currently have a parliament of crooks in Westminster, but the churchyard at St Paternus is home to a parliament of rooks! The term is a reference to rooks gathering in a circle around an individual bird to pass their judgement on it after some very vocal discussion. They are an integral and very visible (and audible) part of the ecosystem of the churchyard, which is why we chose them as our logo.
They are certainly the most social of all the crow family, living in close-knit groups. They feed and roost in flocks in winter, returning to their high rookeries to breed. The nests are made early in the year and three or four eggs, occasionally more, are laid in the spring. The chicks will hatch a few weeks later, then spend another month in the nest. We have often found baby rooks still learning the ropes in our garden but the parents are always nearby – we don’t interfere but try to keep cats away until the fledglings have earned their wings.
Once paired, rooks are monogamous. The males gather the nest material (twigs broken from trees or sometimes stolen from other nests) while the female puts it together. The male feeds the female while she incubates the eggs, and also helps feed the chicks once they have hatched. Rooks are omnivorous and will eat pretty much anything.
The rook has often been much maligned, not least because of its association with death, and has also been considered a nuisance. They are certainly noisy birds though I rather enjoy hearing them. They show considerable intelligence. Studies have demonstrated their ability to solve problems and use tools – in some experiments their abilities have even rivalled chimpanzees.
Despite their traditional association with misfortune, a healthy rookery is considered good luck. Our rookery was surveyed in the spring of last year and was found to have 35 nests, up on the previous survey, which suggests the group is doing well – let us hope that is a positive omen for the village in the coming year.
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