adult

adult in flight European distribution pair on rocks

Identification

The Chough is closest to a Jackdaw in size, but is slightly bigger with a longer more pointed head and longer more rectangular, more deeply-fingered wings. At closer range of course the long down-curved red bill and red feet are diagnostic.

Habitat

Breeds and winters on coastal cliffs, feeding on grazed grassy areas. Sometimes nests inland in quarries or old buildings.

Behaviour

Sometimes performs wonderful acrobatic displays in which it tumbles and dives vertically downwards.

Migration

A sedentary bird.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Chough is classed as Local: generally fairly regular or common species that a 'county lister' or a birding beginner might be interested in going to see. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Mizen Hd, Cork 13/06/2008	Langness, IOM 11/11/2009	Langness, IOM 11/11/2009	South Stack, Anglesey 03/12/2009	South Stack, Anglesey 03/12/2009
undisc. site, Gwynedd 01/12/2009	undisc. site, Gwynedd 11/11/2009	undisc. site, Gwynedd 11/11/2009	Morfa Nefyn, Gwynedd 11/11/2009	Marcross, Glamorgan 09/07/2007

 View all pictures of Chough

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Chough breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Britain
Canary Islands
France
Georgia
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Macedonia
Portugal
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Spain
Switzerland
Turkey

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	Back from the Brink. No 4: Chough	Thursday 9th February 2006
	The fourth of our articles based on a RSPB booklet charting the recovery of some of the UK's rarest breeding birds. Here we look at the evocative Chough.   read on

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