Welcome to Operation Chough

The Cornish Chough is a member of the crow family distinguished by its striking red feet and elegantly curved bill.

The chough was once widespread throughout Britain, and appears on Cornwall’s coat of arms, but after years of decline it disappeared from the county in 1973. In the late 1970s we collaborated with other organisations and individual conservationists to form ‘Operation Chough’ aiming to again see this magnificent bird back on Cornwall’s cliffs.

Populations still existed in Wales and Scotland, but these sedentary birds rarely fly far. Then, in 2001, a small group of choughs arrived at the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall – and stayed. Two of these paired up for the first time in fifty years chough chicks were reared in Cornwall. We later made a small trial release of captive birds in a separate location.

The long standing aim of Operation Chough remains to see the chough return to Cornwall, and able to maintain a healthy population.

Currently there are a small number of closely related birds living around the coast in the far west. We recognise the high importance of this pioneer population and are maintaining a watching brief with regard to them, while concerned at the small genetic diversity of the founders.

Over the next five years we will aim to:

Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary, Hayle Cornwall TR27 4HB, UK
www.paradisepark.org.uk