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Red-billed Chough
(Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)
: "Chough", "Cornish Chough"
 German name(s): "Alpenkrähe"
Size: 37-39 cm; wing span 75-85 cm
Weight: 190-250 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Red-billed Choughs are medium-sized raven-like birds.
Their plumage
is all glossy-black and both sexes look alike.
Being rather slender, in shape they are most similar to a
Rook.
Their most distinguishing feature is the thin bright-red,
down-curved bill.
The irises are dark; the (long) legs and feet are orange.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Red-billed
Chough at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed based
on sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to the
ebird.org
website.
The global distribution of the Red-billed Chough is available
HERE
.
There are 8 extant races of Red-billed Choughs, which are
sendentary throughout their range. The overall range extends
from the Canary Islands and parts of western Europe
and of north-western Africa through parts of southern Europe,
via parts of Asia Minor into mountainous parts of subtropical
Asia, as far eastward as northern China and south-eastern
Siberia.
In Europe there are three races of Red-billed Choughs.
Nominate race "pyrrhocorax" is endemic to the British Isles,
where it is restricted to western Ireland, the Isle of Man
and far-western Wales and Scotland. After a long absence
Red-billed Chough have recently (2001) started to
re-colonize Cornwall.
Race "erythropthalmus"
is the continental form that occurs outside of Greece.
Its range extends through much of Iberia, some areas in
southern France and parts of southern Italy, Sicily and
Sardinia.
In Europe, race "docilis" is found only in Greece.
Red-billed Choughs occupy habitats where few other bird species
will stay during summer, namely in alpine regions between 1200 m
and 3000 m altitude (in some parts also higher). With a strong
preference for rocky terrain, they also stay in ragged, rocky
coastal areas, where they live down to sealevel.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "erythropthalmus"
J. Pires reports spotting
Red-billed Choughs, race "erythropthalmus",
in Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, in October 2018.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this page
has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.
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Photos |
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Race "erythropthalmus"
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of a Red-billed Chough
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Lateral view of Red-billed Choughs
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Frontal/ventral view of a Red-billed Chough in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a Red-billed Chough in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
Ventral view of a Red-billed Chough in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
