Abstract
DURING the last fortnight of 1947, C. M. Ogilvie made observations at a rookery which had been first built in 1946 in a small beech copse within a few hundred yards of two larger colonies. For four days the behaviour of the birds was closely watched, and in the March issue of British Birds (42, No. 3 ; 1949) Mr. Ogilvie summarizes his observations. The colony was visited by rooks within two hours of dawn every day and, except on two occasions, was finally deserted at least five hours before dusk. The number of birds varied considerably during the day, and jackdaws were rarely present. Though displaying no pairing or nesting tendencies, the majority of birds indulged in group flights and other activities associated with considerable mutual excitement. Several paired birds regularly occupied the nest remnants and frequently, but not invariably, defended their territory ; a preference for certain nests and the neglect of others were noted. Observations also showed that ‘nesting’ rooks indulged in pairing and courtship activity, bill-fondling, mutual preening and ritual feeding, but coition never took place and nest construction was not attempted. The birds appeared to derive a considerable amount of food from the nests. Variation in weather conditions did not obviously influence the behaviour of the rooks or the duration of their visits to the colony. The article concludes with speculations as to the significance of Mr. Ogilvie's recorded impressions.
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A Rookery in Winter. Nature 164, 648 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/164648c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/164648c0