File:British birds (1921) (14568681769).jpg

Identifier: britishbirds00huds (find matches)
Title: British birds
Year: 1921 (1920s)
Authors: Hudson, W. H. (William Henry), 1841-1922 Beddard, Frank E. (Frank Evers), 1858-1925
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain
Publisher: London, New York (etc.) Longmans, Green, and co.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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centuries back in time, and the rook has everywhere come to regardthe trees that are near a human habitation as the safest to build on.It is surprising to find how fearless of man he is in this respect,while retaining a suspicious habit towards him when M a distancefrom home. I recall one rookery on a clump of fir-trees so closeto a large house that, from the top windows, one can look down onthe nests and count the eggs in many of them ; yet for miles roundthe area is a well-wooded park, where the birds might easily havefound scores of sites as well or better suited to their requirements. The birds usually return to the rookery in February, and inMarch, or even earUer if the weather should prove mild, they beginto repair the old nests and buUd new ones. The nests are placedon the topmost branches of the tree—elm, oak, birch, or fir ; but anelm-tree is generally made choice of. The tree to suit the rookmust be tall—if possible, the tallest tree in the place—for it is the ROOK 169
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Fia. 56.—EooKs and Nesi 170 BBITISH BIBBS instinct of the bird not only to have his house far out of reach ofall possible terrestrial enemies, but so placed that a wide and unin-terrupted view of earth and sky may be obtained from it. As thingsnow are his winged enemies do him little hurt, but it was not alwaysso. In the next place, the branches must afford a suitable founda-tion to build on : they must be strong, and forked, so as to hold thefabric securely during high winds and sudden violent storms ; fur-thermore, there must be a clear space above or at the side, toenable the bird to approach and leave it without striking againstthe surrounding boughs. It is a well-known fact that rooks willdesert a rookery when the trees are decaying, even when, to ahuman eye, they appear eound. The most probable explanationwhich has yet been offered of this fact is, that a considerableamount of pliancy in the branches is necessary for the safety of thenest; for if the branches do not yield and

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