Cape Rook

Corvus capensis

Other Names

  Black Crow, Cape Crow   Corneille du Cap   Kapkrähe     Kapkråka     Corvo del Capo

World: Afrotropical - occurs in 2 separate areas widespread S of 10°S while in the NE it occurs in SE Sudan, Ethiopia, w,c Kenya and e Uganda.

Kenya: West and Central of the country in open habitats between 1200-2500 m (although occurring at lower elevations in the N).

This is a slender-billed, lightly built crow of open grassland. It generally occurs in small groups although it can be found in large flocks, foraging through the grass. The lax throat feathers are often raised as it calls. As with the other Kenyan corvids, the Cape Rook is an omnivorous, predatory scavenger. During the 20th Century the species increased in numbers probably due to the introduction of large scale farming which helped provide the open habitat favoured by this bird.