The Cornish Chough
Last updated: 29/05/2012
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The
Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) is a member of the
crow family with a red beak and legs, and an excitable,
high-pitched 'chi-ow' call from which it gets its name. It is
extremely acrobatic and its tumbling display flights make a truly
impressive sight.
The
Chough is included in the county's coat of arms alongside the
miner and the fisherman, reflecting the bird's importance in
Cornish culture. It also appears regularly in Cornish legend and it
is said that King Arthur was transformed into a chough when he
died, the red feet and beak representing his violent, bloody
end.
Lost from Cornwall
The
Chough was once widespread around the coasts of Britain but has
declined since the early nineteenth century, with only about 300
pairs left, mainly in Wales, the Isle of Man and western Scotland,
although a larger population is present in Eire. A decline in
suitable feeding habitat is thought to be the main reason for the
loss of the chough from England, with many of the well-grazed
pastures that were once common along the coast ploughed up for
arable crops or overgrown with scrub.
Cornwall was once a stronghold for Choughs, they last nested in
the county in 1952, long after they had been lost from the rest of
England. As the chough declined, so it became an increasingly
prized target for egg collectors and trophy hunters and this may
have finally sealed the bird's fate in Cornwall.
The return of the Cornish Chough
Conservation organisations hoping to see the
chough back in Cornwall have been working together for a number
of years to secure more and better quality chough habitat. It
prefers short well-grazed coastal pastures and eats ground-dwelling
invertebrates such as ants, beetle larvae and spiders. Its rather
untidy nest is built largely of sticks and usually well concealed
within a crack in the cliff-face or deep inside a cave.
In 2001 four wild choughs were seen in west Cornwall and three
took up residence, leading to hopes that they might stay to breed.
Developments were eagerly awaited during the early spring of 2002
and to everyone's delight two of the birds began nesting. By
mid-April they had built a nest tucked away out of sight within a
sea cave and the female had begun to incubate a clutch of eggs -
the first Coughs to breed in Cornwall (and England) for 50
years.
A team of dedicated volunteers provided a round-the-clock watch
over the birds to ensure illegal egg collectors could not raid the
nest and thereby ruin any chance of the chough returning to
Cornwall.
The Cornwall Chough Project
The Cornwall Chough Project has been established by English
Nature, the RSPB, the National Trust, and the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Building on the work of the
past five years, it aims to promote the return of the chough to
Cornwall through:
- Encouraging the restoration of suitable feeding habitats for
choughs by working closely with landowners and reinstating
traditional forms of livestock grazing on coastal pastures.
- Monitoring and protecting the birds that are already present in
Cornwall so that their preferred feeding areas can be identified
and improved.
- Promoting the return of the chough to Cornwall, and raising
awareness of how managed coastal habitats benefit our native
wildlife.
Cattle grazing the Cornish cliffs provide the ideal habitat for
the chough.
It is hoped that by providing more habitat for choughs to feed
and breed on, such as that managed under the Countryside
Stewardship Scheme, this most evocative and emblematic of Cornish
birds will be able to make a full natural recovery.
Help us bring back the Cornish Chough
A project officer has been employed to coordinate our work on
the chough in Cornwall and to advise on the practical techniques
and funding available for restoring chough habitat. Please contact
them if:
- You see a wild chough anywhere in Cornwall
- You are interested in managing your land for choughs
- You would like to support the Cornwall Chough Project
Project Officer contact details:
RSPB South West Regional Office
Keble
House, Southernhay Gardens, Exeter EX1 1NT Tel: 01392
453775
The National Trust
Nature Conservation Adviser, Lanhydrock, Bodmin, Cornwall PL30 4DE
Tel: 01208 74281
Natural England
Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Team, Pydar House, Pydar
Street, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1XU Tel: 01872 245045
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