CHOUGH
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

The chough is a member of the crow family with a distinctive red beak and legs. These sociable birds are found mainly on coastal cliffs where it probes for invertebrates with its long, downward curved bill. They are renowned for their piercing call and their acrobatic flying skills. Their nests are built in crevices or deep, sheltered ledges of sea cliffs or caves. They also nest in quarries, old mine-shafts or ruined buildings. Constructed of heather twigs, rootlets and grass, the cup-shaped nest is lined with feathers, soft fur or sheep’s wool.

The chough is a vulnerable species, with a breeding population in Great Britain of only a few hundred. From being relatively widespread in the 18th century, they now occupy only a few coastal areas including western Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and Cornwall. Choughs rarely wander outside their breeding range so that these small populations are fairly isolated.

Virtually the entire Scottish breeding population is found on the Inner Hebridean islands of Islay and Colonsay.On Islay, nesting sites have been successfully provided in derelict buildings, but the main threat to the chough is the change in agricultural practice which has affected its main food source – beasties in dung! Invertebrates such as fly and beetle larvae and adults are a favourite with choughs, but the reduction in unimproved grassland grazed by sheep and cattle has reduced the amount of dung and the number of these invertebrates. The birds have also been persecuted in the past but they are now protected by law. With ongoing habitat management, monitoring and research, this fascinating bird is showing a steady increase in numbers. We currently have three female choughs.