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  • Chough

Chough

Chough
Chough
Chough in flight
Chough in flight
  • Scientific name: Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
  • Bird family: Crows
  • UK conservation status: Green
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Chough call audio

Your browser does not support this audio feature.

Olivier Grosselet, Xeno-canto

Key information

While its black plumage identifies it as a crow, the chough (pronounced 'chuff') has a red bill and legs unlike any other member of the crow family. It is restricted to the west of the British Isles.

It readily displays its mastery of flight with wonderful aerial displays of diving and swooping. This Schedule 1 species can be found in flocks in autumn and winter.

What they eat:

Insects and larvae.

Measurements:

Length:
39-40cm
Wingspan:
73-90cm
Weight:
260-350g

Population:

UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.
UK breeding:
250-350 pairs in Great Britain; 120-150 pairs on the Isle of Man

Identifying features:

Chough

Chough illustration
Feather colour: Black
Leg colour: Brown Orange Red
Beak: Orange Red Medium length Curved Medium thickness
Natural habitats: Farmland Marine and intertidal

Similar birds:

Jackdaw illustration
Jackdaw
Carrion crow
Carrion crow
Adult rook
Rook

Where and when to see them

Choughs can be seen around rocky coasts with short grassland. RSPB reserves at South Stack, Anglesey; Loch Gruinart, Islay and along the Causeway coast, N Ireland.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Chough distribution map

Choughs can be seen all year round.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB South Stack Cliffs
  • RSPB The Oa
  • RSPB Ramsey Island

In more depth

Bringing choughs back to Cornwall

Bringing choughs back to Cornwall

Chough breeding and nesting habits

Chough breeding and nesting habits

Chough habitat and food

Chough habitat and food

Chough population trends

Chough population trends

Cornish choughs

Cornish choughs

Threats

Threats

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RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Friends of Ramsey Island

Bought by the RSPB in 1992, Ramsey Island is a truly spectacular island reserve just off the north Pembrokeshire coast.

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

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