Fairly common resident with former rookeries recently being re-established. 

Although Rooks consume great quantities of agricultural pests, they have always been regarded as pests especially on newly sown or ripening cereal crops, and for this reason have been “scared off” and where possible killed.

Rooks expanded their range in Britain during the eighteenth and early nineteenth Centuries, and their numbers were still increasing until around 1960 when there was a sudden sharp decrease due to the use of toxic chemicals in seed dressings.

Despite the loss of agricultural land as Stevenage developed rookeries have continued to exist within the town and surrounding countryside. Some are large and well-established others are small and may only exist for a short time.

In 1960/61 there were eight rookeries in Stevenage.

In 1971 rookeries were recorded at: Aston (Stringers Lane), Aston End (Lord’s Farm and New Wood), the Avenue, Bragbury End (three sites, one east of the Railway, one beside the A602 and one opposite the Chequers Pub), Chells (Six Acre Wood), Chesfield (Harbourclose Wood at Manor Farm, two sites), Frobisher Drive, Marymead, Monkswood Way (in the grounds of the former college, now Asda), Rectory Lane, the Town Centre (Swingate Car Park and behind the Towers). The largest rookeries were at the Avenue (90 nests) and Rectory Lane (59 nests).

In 1975 17 rookeries were recorded in Stevenage and 10 in 1993. In the surveys of rookeries from 1975 and 1993 three were present in the same locations, Round Wood, Chesfield, Manor Farm, Chesfield and, Roebuck Vets.

The large rookeries in the Avenue and at Rectory Lane had gone by 1975 but, were being re-established in 2005.

In 2013, 34 nests were recorded from a rookery at Warren Springs Laboratory on 21 February.

Since 2014 rookeries have been recorded (with active years) at: Ashburnham Walk (two sites 2016 to 2022); the Avenue, Martins Way (2014 to 2022), Bragbury End (2014 to 2022); Broadhall Way, near Greenside School (2015); Broadwater Crescent/Nokeside (2014) Broadwater Road (2014 to 2018); Claypit Hill Spring (2021); Fairlands Valley Park, north end (2015); Fairlands Way/Grace Way (2015, 2018, 2019); Farnham House, Gunnels Wood Road (2019); Fishers Green Road/Lymington Road (2014 and 2021); Fishers Green adjoining the A1M (2015); Grace Way (2019); Gresley Way (2014 to 2016); Hampson Park, adjoining Meredith Road (2015); Hampson Park (2015 to 2017); Holders, Aston End (2014 to 2022); Kimbolton Crescent (2022); Ledgefield Plantation, Chesfield (2014 to 2018); the Leisure Park (2022), Long Leaves (2021 and 2022); Manor Farm, Chesfield (2014, 2016, 2017); Moss Bury School (2015); New Wood, Aston End (2014 to 2022); Roebuck Retail Park, north (2014 and 2015); Roebuck Vets, Roebuck Gate (2018 to 2022); Round Wood, Chesfield (2014 to 2018); Sishes Wood (2016 and 2022); Stevenage Golf Course (2014 to 2021); Tesco Roundabout, Lytton Way (2020 to 2022); Vardon Road/Hobbs Court (2014); Vardon Road (2020 to 2022).

The largest number of nests recorded in a rookery is 53 at New Wood, Aston End in 2021.

In 1974 the following large flocks were recorded at Stevenage; 200 along the Hertford Road on 23 March, 91 in fields at Botany Bay on 26 May, 200 going to roost at Round Wood, Chesfield on 20 October, 50 in Elms (Ulmus procera) at Astonbury Wood on 17 November and 70 to 80 at Broaches Wood on 30 December.

A mixed flock of 2000 Rooks and Jackdaws was recorded from Stevenage on 8 November 1987 and, a flock of 150 was recorded at Stevenage on 10 January 2014. Large numbers of Rooks, Jackdaws, and Carrion Crows also gather and roost in Fairlands Valley in the evenings.

Three unusual records: A, “mottled” Rook (where some or all the feathers of the wings, tail or body have terminal or sub-terminal greyish white wing bars) was seen at the Old Town between January and April 1967; Rooks seen feeding on discarded Crisps at Fairlands School Playground in 1973 and 1974; Rooks seen feeding on ornamental Cherry Trees in Popple Way in 1974.

The 1973 Breeding Atlas confirmed breeding from nine of Stevenage’s tetrads, the 1992 Atlas from six and the 2012 Atlas from 10.

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from all 11 of the tetrads covering Stevenage.