Rook portrait

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Rook portrait
Photo Information
Copyright: Ralf Lukovic (ralfsworld) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 514 W: 90 N: 1771] (5920)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-05
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon EF 400mm F/2.8 L IS USM, CF Extrime IV 8 GB
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-04-08 5:16
Viewed: 506
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is my first post after two month's of pause.
This is a portrait of the rook (råka) captured from a car @ 800mm. This guy was close to the road so I just open the door of the car and made few shots of this cool bird :) Hope you like it :)

The Rook (Corvus frugilegus) is a member of the passerine order of birds and the crow family. Named by Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering".

This species is similar in size (45–47 cm in length) or slightly smaller than the Carrion Crow with black feathers often showing a blue or bluish-purple sheen in bright sunlight. The feathers on the head, neck and shoulders are particularly dense and silky. The legs and feet are black and the bill grey-black.

Rooks are distinguished from similar members of the crow family by the bare grey-white skin around the base of the adult's bill in front of the eyes. The feathering around the legs also look shaggier and laxer than the congeneric Carrion Crow. The juvenile is superficially more similar to the Crow because it lacks the bare patch at the base of the bill, but it loses the facial feathers after about six months.

Distribution and habitat

Though resident in Great Britain and much of north and central Europe, vagrant to Iceland and northern Scandinavia, it also occurs as an eastern race in Asia where it differs in being very slightly smaller on average, and having a somewhat more fully feathered face. In the north of its range the species has a tendency to move south during autumn though more southern populations are apt to range sporadically also. The species has been introduced to New Zealand, with several hundred birds being released there from 1862-1874, though today their range is very localised.[2] Here the species is an agricultural pest and it is being eradicated.

Diet

Food is predominantly earthworms and insect larvae, which the bird finds by probing the ground with its strong bill. It also eats cultivated cereal grain, smaller amounts of fruit, small mammals such as voles, acorns and the eggs of ground-nesting birds. In urban sites, human food scraps are taken from rubbish dumps and streets, usually in the early hours when it is relatively quiet. It has also been seen along the seashore, feeding on insects, crustaceans and suitable food flotsam.

Nesting

Nesting is always colonial, usually in the very tops of the trees. Branches and twigs are broken off trees (very rarely picked up off the ground), though as many are likely to be stolen from nearby nests as are collected from trees. Eggs are usually 3–5 in number, can appear by the end of February or early March and are incubated for 16–18 days. Both adults feed the young, which are fledged by the 32nd or 33rd day.

In autumn, the young birds of the summer collect together with unpaired birds of previous seasons into large flocks. It is during the autumn that spectacular aerial displays can be seen by adult birds that seem to delight in the autumn gales.
Raptorman, jcoowanitwong, Argus, marhowie, bobcat08, Juyona, jaycee, Luis52, Necipp, CeltickRanger, rousettus, JPlumb, Rolf has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Ralf , very good portrait of one of my favourite birds , you show us how colorful ( purplish ) birds in good light this crows , TFS and good luck .

Hello Ralf,
This is fantastic picture. The image is pin sharp. The shade of dark colors are well contrasted. Lovely pov and composition. Very well done and tfs.
JC

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2416 W: 132 N: 6653] (20877)
  • [2008-04-08 6:37]

Hej Ralf,
Nice to see you back on TN!
Excellent close portrait of a Rook with a fine pose and contrast with the BG. First class technical quality and composition too.
TFS,
Hälsnningar,
Ivan

Jo tack, allt är bra förutom vädret. Men vi ska till Mallorca nästa lördag och hoppas på utdelning!

Hello Ralf,
Nice portrait with great detail and exposure of this difficult DARK black subject. Good POV, DOF, comp, and the rook is well seen from the light BG :)
This species beak is massive!
Well done mf,
Howard

Hello Ralf,

Welcome back after a periode of two months op pause. This is a very nice (excellent) pinsharp close up of this Rook. The composition, POV and BG are good. Natural colors. But it looks like you may of over sharpen it for upload of this Rook. See te rightside of the feathers. Very interesting notes. Thansk for that.

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2072 W: 6 N: 1848] (12716)
  • [2008-04-08 7:13]

Hola Ralf,
artístico retrato y pov...
buena nitidez y color.
saludos amigo.

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1675 W: 8 N: 4022] (13255)
  • [2008-04-08 9:38]

Hi Ralph,

Amazing shot of this Rook - and from a car! Everything about this portrait is superb. Marvelous black with excellent shadings. The eye shines thru. Razor sharp details of the face and feather. A great background and composition. Welcome back!

Jane

Ralf

Menacing looking shot with perfect clarity on the bird with is helped by a nice blurred BG. Top work.

Jai

great capture! beautiful colors and excellent sharpness and details!very nice composition!

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1036 W: 5 N: 2728] (9914)
  • [2008-04-08 15:32]

Hi Ralf.
It is very nice for me to see Your fine photos again. Great image of this crow. we have a lot of them, but very hard to catch in Nature. You cant get close to them.
Very interesting note too.
Saludos Ralf.
Luis52.

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 249 W: 0 N: 447] (1688)
  • [2008-04-08 17:18]

Hi Ralf
Great portrait of this Rook
Nice contrast in the dark color tones
Good detail and pose
tfs jon

Hello Ralf,
very closer and great portraite of Rook. Nicely composed and focused. POV and composition very nice. TFS, well done
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • JPlumb Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 654 W: 159 N: 889] (2827)
  • [2008-04-08 21:52]

Beautiful portrait of this Rook Ralf. The detail is incredible. Very nicely composed in this portrait format.

Thanks, John

hello Ralf

excellent close-up and portrait shot of the Rook,
fine POV and framing, excellent DOF,
great sharpness and great details of the balck plumage
and all og the bird, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • Necipp Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1150 W: 15 N: 2074] (12392)
  • [2008-04-09 11:33]

Hello Ralf excellent sharpness great pose/composition tfs rgds Necip.

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2337 W: 59 N: 4094] (13345)
  • [2008-04-09 13:30]

Hi Ralf,
Nice close-up portrait. I liked the pose you captured. Good POV, details and background. TFS
Greetings,
Selen

  • Great 
  • Rolf Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 60 W: 0 N: 29] (194)
  • [2008-04-10 5:33]

Hi Ralf
Nice portrait with great detail.
TFS
Rolf

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