Wildlife

Wild Cornish Chough Recovery Welfare

Cornish choughs are cliff-nesting corvids that returned to breed in Cornwall in 2001 after a 50-year absence, with welfare dependent on traditional farming practices.

Key Facts

Choughs returned to breed at Lizard Peninsula in 2001 and now number over 500 birds in the UK
They feed on soil invertebrates especially leatherjackets in short, grazed grassland
Cliffside traditional farming with cattle and ponies maintains the short turf they require
Wind farm development near nesting sites poses collision risk during foraging flights
Disturbance at cliff nest sites during March to July causes nest abandonment

Welfare Considerations

Chough chicks abandoned at nest sites face starvation and exposure. The recovery of this population is closely tied to the continuation of traditional farming practices that support their specialized feeding needs.

What You Can Do

Support traditional grazing management on cliff grassland through agri-environment schemes
Respect exclusion zones at known chough nest sites during breeding season
Donate to RSPB chough monitoring and habitat management programs in Wales and Cornwall