Rook vs Crow
How to tell these two garden look-alikes apart.
The quickest tell. Rook: bare greyish-white skin at the base of a long pointed bill. Crow: entirely black, with a heavy black bill feathered at its base.
Photo: hedera.baltica, CC BY-SA (iNaturalist)
Rook
Corvus frugilegus
How to spot it
- Bare greyish-white skin at the base of a long pointed bill
- Peaked crown and baggy, shaggy "trousers" on the thighs
- Loose, ragged plumage overall
Birder's tip: The bare pale face at the bill-base is the instant separation from a Carrion Crow.
Photo: Luciano 95, CC BY (iNaturalist)
Crow
Corvus corone
How to spot it
- Entirely black, with a heavy black bill feathered at its base
- Square-ended tail and tight, neat plumage, no shaggy "trousers"
- Flat forehead giving a level-headed profile
Birder's tip: Usually alone or in pairs, "a crow in a crowd is a rook".
At a glance
| Rook | Crow | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | about Crow-sized | the largest common black corvid |
| When you'll see it | Resident, here all year | Resident, here all year |
| Latin name | Corvus frugilegus | Corvus corone |
Hear the difference
Their calls are often the giveaway. Have a listen.
Rook call
Crow call
Learn them so they stick
Learn Birds teaches the UK's birds by sight and song, with real photos and recordings. It uses spaced repetition so the difference sticks for good.
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