What do Rooks do with Walnuts?

[colinaj]

I am currently researching an article for British Birds Magazine on Rooks eating Walnuts & their behaviour in gardens. I wondered if anyone had seen Rooks eating Walnuts & could help me with my research. also what do they actually do with them & how do they open them.
I still have not seen this feeding techniqiue as they always fly off a long way to open them but they soon come back for more.

any information will be aknowledged at the foot of the subsequent article.

Thanks
Colin.aj

[Lance Morgan]

I just googled rooks and walnuts and loads of stuff came up.

[Owl-Light]

Originally Posted by Lance Morgan

I just googled rooks and walnuts and loads of stuff came up.

Ah Corvids my favourite birds bless em.
Yeah did a quick Google too. Here is a quote from the first one I found:

"The other day I heard about an old woman curious about the rooks carrying away the walnuts from her walnut tree. They make a little hole in the husk so they can fly off with one stuck on the end of their beaks. I have heard that in Japan they perch with walnuts on the top of traffic lights and when the colour changes they drop the walnuts in the path of the oncoming traffic, swooping down after the cars have passed to pick out pieces of nut from the smashed shells." Source.

I seem to remember seeing a program about the Japanese Rooks doing that. Oooh they are clever!

[Owl-Light]

Nope, it was actually my favourite Corvid The Crow. Linky.

[Adam Cheeseman]

A bit late i the day, but Rooks have seen to take walnuts to fields with cows in them and use the cow pats as a kind of toolbench in which to hold the nut while they extract the kernel.

Cheers,

Adam