Chough

Choughs are two types of passerine birds in the genus Pyrrhocorax, part of the Corvidae family, which includes crows. These species are the red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and the Alpine chough, also known as the yellow-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus). The white-winged chough from Australia, despite its name, is not a true chough and belongs to a different family, Corcoracidae.

Choughs have black feathers and brightly colored legs, feet, and bills. They live in the mountains and rocky coastal cliffs of southern Eurasia and North Africa. These birds have long wings and can perform impressive aerial displays. They mate for life and are loyal to their nesting sites, typically found in caves or cliff crevices. They build nests made of sticks and usually lay three to five eggs. Choughs feed in groups on short grasslands, mainly eating insects, along with some plant material or food from humans, especially in winter.

Their main threats are changes in farming practices, which have caused local population declines and fragmented their ranges. However, neither species is at risk globally.

Choughs breed in mountainous regions from Morocco and Spain to southern Europe, the Alps, Central Asia, the Himalayas, and western China. The Alpine chough also lives in Corsica and Crete, while the red-billed chough can be found in Ireland, the UK, the Isle of Man, Brittany, and some areas in the Ethiopian Highlands. Both species are non-migratory, usually staying in their respective regions but occasionally wandering to nearby countries.

These birds are specialists of mountainous areas. Red-billed choughs can also be found on coastal cliffs in places like Ireland, Great Britain, and Brittany, where they feed on short grasslands nearby. Typically, red-billed choughs breed at altitudes above 1,200 meters in Europe and even higher in North Africa and the Himalayas. The Alpine chough breeds at even higher elevations, often found above 1,260 meters in Europe and even as high as 6,500 meters, making it the highest breeding bird species.

When both species live in the same mountains, the Alpine chough usually breeds at a higher elevation since it is better suited to a high-altitude diet.

Choughs are monogamous and are loyal to both their partners and nesting sites. Their nests are sturdy structures made from roots, sticks, and plant material, usually found on ledges or in caves. Sometimes they nest in man-made structures like abandoned buildings. While they don’t nest in colonies, several pairs might nest close together in suitable areas.

The females of both species lay three to five eggs, typically white with brown or gray spots, which they incubate alone. The chicks hatch after two to three weeks. Red-billed chough chicks are mostly naked, while Alpine chough chicks have a dense layer of down. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 29 to 31 days for Alpine choughs and 31 to 41 days for red-billed choughs.

In summer, both types of choughs mainly eat insects like beetles, snails, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and fly larvae. Red-billed choughs particularly like ants. They find their food in short grasslands or areas with limited plant growth due to coastal conditions. Choughs use their bills to pick insects off surfaces or dig for grubs. Red-billed choughs typically dig about 2 to 3 centimeters into the thin soil but can dig deeper if conditions allow. They also eat plant matter and will take fallen grain when available, sometimes causing damage to barley crops by breaking off heads to get the grain.

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