A group of red-billed choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) have been reintroduced near the famous white cliffs of Dover in south-east England, bringing an end to their 200-year absence.
Red-billed choughs are charismatic corvids that are related to crows and jackdaws. They have a bright red bill, red legs, and a distinctive call. Elizabeth Corry from Wildwood Trust, a local conservation charity, describes them as “blackbirds on steroids” due to their larger size and vibrant red bill. However, choughs have been in decline for many years primarily due to intensified farming practices and historical persecution.
According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, there are currently an estimated 394 breeding pairs of choughs in the UK, with populations in Cornwall, north Wales, and the Isle of Man.
The reintroduction project, led by Corry and Laura Gardner, is a joint effort between Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust. The choughs are raised in a creche-rearing system, which involves habituating them to humans without causing any negative imprinting. The team uses a black glove and tweezers to mimic the chough mother’s feeding behavior and plays audio recordings of begging calls when the birds are hungry.
To monitor the reintroduced choughs, the team has equipped them with three different tracking devices, including “daily diary” tags worn like backpacks. These tags contain accelerometers, magnetometers, and barometric pressure sensors, providing detailed and fine-scale data on each individual bird’s behavior. This information will offer valuable insights into survival rates, travel patterns, and nesting site preferences.
Over the course of five years, the team aims to release 30 to 50 chough individuals. Although some losses may occur due to predation, they hope to establish a population of 15 breeding pairs within a decade. If successful, these choughs could eventually interact and breed with the population in Cornwall, benefiting the entire UK chough population.
Unique Insights:
– The reintroduction of red-billed choughs is a crucial step towards conserving this charismatic bird species in south-east England.
– Creche-rearing techniques allow the choughs to become accustomed to human presence without negatively impacting their behavior.
– The use of tracking devices provides detailed information on the choughs’ behavior, enabling a better understanding of their movements and habitat preferences.
Sources:
– Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (rspb.org.uk)
– Kent Wildlife Trust (kentwildlifetrust.org.uk)
– Wildwood Trust (wildwoodtrust.org)
