The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Rook sightings cause ORC to keep an 'open mind' about population

By Adam Burns
Otago Daily Times·
29 Jul, 2019 04:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A rook. Photo / ORC

A rook. Photo / ORC

The dwindling rook population has resurfaced in Maniototo and about 20 rooks have been spotted on a Kyeburn farm.

The Otago Regional Council is now "keeping an open mind" about rook numbers which were previously thought to have been declining.

The population was believed to have been fewer than 40 less than a year ago, down from thousands in the 1990s.

Council biosecurity and biodiversity team leader Richard Lord said staff had responded to a reported sighting this week and staff were now surveying known rook sites in the area.

"Fog hindered some recent site inspections, but we'll continue the search and will implement appropriate control measures if any are located."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rooks are included in council's proposed regional pest plan as a pest to be eradicated.

The council said large flocks of the birds could inflict thousands of dollars' worth of damage to Otago's grain and new grass crops.

Rooks had previously been spotted in the Patearoa and Gimmerburn areas of Maniototo.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Lord said the council could not say whether the population might have grown until more information had been gathered.

"We are keeping an open mind.

"This is why it is so important that people stay vigilant and report rook sightings to ORC."

The council's pest plan prohibits unauthorised individuals from poisoning, capturing, trapping or shooting at rooks, or interfering with a rook nest as it could result in the rook population scattering and new colonies being formed.

Discover more

Pest-trapping volunteers vexed by vandals

01 Jul 03:30 AM

Fears over worsening wallaby problem

09 Jul 04:00 AM

American foulbrood spread prompts burning of hives

10 Jul 11:15 PM

Southland beekeepers advised to check for AFB

19 Jul 12:15 AM

"The small population of rooks in the region make it difficult to identify and destroy them, meaning reports from the community are essential," Lord said.

• If you have rooks on your property or observe them anywhere in Otago, please report them to the Otago Regional Council by calling 0800 474 082.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'Hysterics': Pet dog Shiva swept into drains during flooding found safe 24 hours later

01 Jul 04:00 AM
The Country

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM
The Country

Union warns against meat self-inspection plans

01 Jul 03:22 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'Hysterics': Pet dog Shiva swept into drains during flooding found safe 24 hours later

'Hysterics': Pet dog Shiva swept into drains during flooding found safe 24 hours later

01 Jul 04:00 AM

The pet dog was sucked into the drainage system during the weekend's heavy rain event.

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM
Union warns against meat self-inspection plans

Union warns against meat self-inspection plans

01 Jul 03:22 AM
Large pig on the loose surprises Pegasus locals

Large pig on the loose surprises Pegasus locals

01 Jul 03:20 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP