A Community of Rooks

Rooks are worth crowing about, writes JV Allister. This bird is only as successful as its community.

I like members of the crow family; their intelligence and adaptability has underpinned their success as species, and rooks are possibly the most successful because they live in close-knit communities.

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Granted, they’re not pretty….but that large beak, designed for stabbing for prey, is very effective….and although not as colourful as the shy jay or the in-yourface magpie, in certain light their black feathers are iridescent. But then looks, or singing ability, are not everything.

They live in communities, colonies if you like, roosting together, nesting together, because as we all know there’s safety in numbers. You will seldom see one feeding on its own, and indeed group feeding in a field or on my lawn ensures that all areas are explored for insects, leatherjackets and other invertebrates, as they strut around like ancient soldiers armed with a blade. Their nest sites, high in a stand of tall trees, are of course called rookeries, but their communal roosts are known as ‘parliaments’; perhaps their incessant cawing and calling was thought to resemble the noise made by MPs in the House of Commons. And that cawing and almost constant noisemaking, their communications with others, may be critical.

Beginning in 1927, the famous zoologist, Konrad Lorenz, studied a group of jackdaws (rook cousins), and eventually was able to understand many of their calls, to go off to feed, to return to their roost, to court and particularly to convey control, or leadership, by the dominant birds. Given that rooks are much noisier than jackdaws, it seems likely that they’re even better at communicating.

There is no doubt that rooks rapidly pass on information about new locations of discovered food to one another, and they also have a hierarchy, a pecking order, which plays an important part in their lives.

In their roosts, the elders claim the best protected positions, while juveniles make do with exposed outer branches, and it is thought that this is where the information-exchange takes place, bird to bird, branch to branch.

When I was a kid, being called ‘birdbrain’ was an insult. Because of what we’re starting to understand about rooks, and indeed other smart birds, it may be more of a compliment. JVA

LONG HARD SUMMER: FINANCIAL STRUGGLES INTENSIFY FOR HOUSEHOLDS IN NORTH DOWN

Rises in interest rates, childcare costs, supermarket inflation and rising household bills cause additional strain

As the summer holidays continue, Community Advice Ards and North Down (CAAND) is bracing itself for a surge in calls from households seeking advice and support amidst worsening financial struggles. A combination of childcare expenses, escalating costs of groceries and household bills, and the recent peak in interest rates have created an additional strain on families, particularly women and single mothers who are already disproportionately affected by income inequality.

Derek McGregor, CAAND Manager, acknowledges the difficulties faced by households during the summer holidays. He said, “The summer break can be an incredibly challenging time, particularly for parents. With schools closed and the absence of structured childcare, families often struggle to meet their financial obligations while trying to manage children’s expectations during the summer break. With mortgage interest rates rising and some households having to have an extra few hundred pounds just to keep a roof over their heads, we know more people will turn to credit to ease their financial pressure, however this will only add more stress in the longer term.

“The rising costs of groceries and household bills has also put immense pressure on family budgets, and with interest rates expected to rise again in line with UK inflation, it’s an extra burden on households, already grappling with financial insecurities.”

Economists have warned that a recent decision by the Bank of England to increase interest rates could see these pushed as high as seven per cent to tackle inflation. Inflation, which measures the rate of rising prices, stuck at eight per cent in May, with supermarket food prices amongst those increasing rapidly.

Derek also indicated that women and single mothers will likely be hit hardest due to income inequality and the rising cost of childcare. Ac- cording to the Living Wage Foundation, women are disproportionately impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. The research shows that almost 60 per cent of all jobs below the Living Wage in the UK are held by women. In addition, women are also more likely to be impacted by rising costs and supermarket inflation, with females often spending a more significant portion of their income on household goods. Please contact CAAND on 0300 123 9287 or email advice@caand.co.uk