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Choughs
Released in West Cornwall
A group of Choughs has been released in West Cornwall
as part of a project to re-establish the species in the area. This
has been long in the planning - 'Operation Chough' was started in
1987 at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Hayle, with the aim
of getting this red-billed crow back to the cliffs of Cornwall,
where it had become extinct.
Choughs first flight August 2003
First release put
on hold
After five years of research to examine why the Chough disappeared,
pairs were set up in breeding aviaries at Paradise Park. They are
difficult to breed in captivity but in 2001 enough birds were available,
and continued monitoring of Cornwall's coastal habitat indicated
that a release could be successful. However, Foot and Mouth Disease
struck and all footpaths closed, just when access to the coast path
was needed to monitor released birds. Then at the same time, and
to the astonishment of all, three wild Choughs arrived in the Lizard
area of Cornwall. Over the years occasional single birds had passed
through, but these three stayed, found food through the winter months
and the pair successfully fledged three chicks in Spring 2002. They
followed this with two more chicks in 2003.
Supplementing the wild birds
This great success proved that the habitat can support Choughs,
and that they are not disturbed by people on the coast path. But
there are just eight birds, five are siblings and only one is known
to be female. Operation Chough does not believe that this constitutes
a viable genetic group in the long-term.
Male Chough in the evening sun
West Cornwall has been chosen as it
is a historic site for the species, and is far enough away from
the Lizard so that the birds there are not disturbed. The six birds
to be released have been DNA tested to prove their ancestry, and
thoroughly health checked. They are two pairs and two further females,
a ratio chosen because the three chicks hatched at the Lizard in
2002 are all believed to be males - and they may soon be looking
for mates.
Update on progress
| The released birds are being
monitored, helped by radio tracking devices. A total of six
birds are available for this release, with the first four
leaving the specially built aviary at 3pm on a warm, bright
day. For the first two nights three birds stayed together,
with one about a mile from them. By the third day out all
four had met up.
So far they have not travelled far but are flying
strong circuits of their local area, which will familiarise
them with their surroundings. All have been observed foraging
and finding food and water, and they have also taken supplementary
food.
Eventually the West Cornwall Choughs may meet
the others already in the Duchy. Mike Reynolds, founder of
Paradise Park, says 'We have prepared the birds for this over
a long period, and are doing all we can to support them. These
Choughs still have a lot to learn, and we wish them luck -
they could make all the difference in creating a thriving
population of Cornish Choughs in ten years time.' |
Richard Meyer Ph.D.
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This page is also available in Acrobat
.pdf format. Click here.
Operation Chough newsletters
Summer 2003 (.pdf format) Click
here.
Aug 2003 (.pdf format) Click
here.
Dec 2003 (.pdf format) Click
here.
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