Cornwall Chough Project

Chough on rock with thrift, The Lizard, Cornwall

Choughs - members of the crow family with striking red legs and curved, red beaks - are found on the Atlantic coastal fringe of the UK.

Currently, there are thought to be around 500 pairs of the birds, mostly in Wales and on some of the western Scottish islands such as Islay. They are also present on the Isle of Man and in Ireland and Brittany.

There are only two breeding pairs in England, both found in Cornwall. Follow the links to the left and below to find out more about these fascinating birds, their history in the county and how you can see them for yourself.

The Cornwall Chough Project (RSPB, Natural England and The National Trust) works to protect the wild chough population, and to promote chough friendly farming of the cliffs.
The partnership is not in favour of releasing captive-bred choughs; instead, we support the gradual re-population of the county by wild birds. For more information on choughs or to record your chough sighting, please contact Claire Mucklow using the contact details below.