| Chough
Stuff |
The Red-billed Chough has only one close relative, the Alpine Chough, also known as the Yellow-billed Chough.
Spot the difference - yes it has a yellow bill! The Alpine Chough lives in Spain, North Africa and Central Asia. It nests high up in the mountains, and is a superb flyer. Latin name: |
The Red-billed Chough
(Pyrrhocorax Pyrrhocorax)
A Chough in flight - Note red bill and feet (Photo
- R Hales)
The Red-billed Chough (latin name Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) is a member of the crow family distinguished by its striking red feet and elegantly curved bill. The chough is slightly larger than a jackdaw, and is smaller and more graceful than a carrion crow. Although described as a black bird, the chough's plumage has a blue/green sheen.
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| Jackdaw |
Chough |
Rook |
Carrion Crow |
Raven |
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It is a superb and acrobat flyer, and can be distinguished when soaring by the “finger feathers” at the wing tips. Its name is possibly derived from its call – a very load “Chee-ow”, and this is often the best way to find choughs when out on the cliffs.
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Jackdaw |
Carrion Crow |
The chough is very much a bird of the coast, although some are found in quarries and mountains in Wales. It prefers to feed in short cropped grass sward, where it probes for invertebrates and larvae, using its specialised curved bill to hunt for prey.
