Murderous Rooks?

[zebedee]

I don't know if these is an Isle of Wight phenomenon, or if anyone else has seen anything like it, but, over the last few months or so, some rooks near my house have actually been deliberately killing and eating pigeons! My wife first saw this, and I have since witnessed this on at least 4 other occasions! Has anyone else seen this, or anything else remotely like it?

[TEB]

How can it be murderous ,

[SlugLobber]

It's more common than you think. Most scavengers will kill and eat 'easy pickings'. There have even been a few documented cases of HORSES stamping on, then eating, birds. Thankfully mine are quite happy with their forage material!

[Newbie]

i get that urge too after they get at my brassicas!

[ginger ninger]

Send them over here, we could do with the pigeon population culling, there a dam menace, my cat catches and kills them, but he can't keep the population down on his own...I wish he could.

[bluemoon]

Isn't the collective noun for rooks a murder of rooks, or is that something else?

[SueA]

I think it's a 'murder of crows' & a 'clamour of rooks', but murder sounds appropriate for Zeb's rooks!
I haven't ever seen any crows or rooks killing other birds around here but the little birds in our garden do all dive for cover when one flies over, could be just in case it's a bird of prey because of the size.

[bluemoon]

Crows, rooks, I never could tell 'em apart, except my Grandad always used to say that if you saw two crows they were rooks and if you saw one rook it was a crow.....or it could have been the other way around.

[allotmentlady]

I only ever see them when a particular person visit this way, funny that !

[SarzWix]

Anybody read 'the Dark is Rising'? The rooks are really evil in that...

I've never seen them attacking other birds, but our allotments are seriously hazardous for a week or so while their chicks are fledging. They nest in a tree in between the plots and the school field, and dive bomb anyone that comes within range (including the kids at school!). This year they pecked one old chap's head so badly he had to go to A&E Pads hates them, and barks and snaps at them if they come anywhere near, so I'm usually the only one who can get down that end of the site until the youngsters are flying well. Evil beasties...

[bubblewrap]

It's a "murder" of crows & a parliament of rooks.

[Glutton4...]

I only ever see them when a particular person visit this way, funny that !

Tee hee hee LOL, Mo, nice one!