Alternative names: Common Chough; Cornish Chough
- Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Identification
38 - 41cm. A medium-sized corvid.
- Red bill which is relatively long, slim and gently decurved
- Red legs, rather short for a corvid
- Relatively small head
- Plumage glossy blue-back, glossed greenish on wings and tail
- Broad, fingered wings prominent in flight
Sexes similar. Juveniles have duller plumage and dull orange bill.
Similar species
Can be confused with Yellow-billed Chough if bill is not seen. The broad wings with the distinctive fingers are typical for Red-billed Chough.
Distribution
It breeds in Great Britain, the Isle of Man, Ireland, southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin, the Alps, and in mountainous country across central Asia, India and China. There is an isolated population in the Ethiopian highlands.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Cliffs.
Behaviour
Diet includes insects and terrestrial molluscs.
It builds its nests in cracks of caves or cliffs. The nests are built of roots and stems of plants such as heather or furze, and are lined with hair or wool. 3-6 eggs are laid in April-May.
Vocalisation
It has a loud, ringing call chee-ow.
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