Operation Chough

Choughs are a fabulous species to see at the Park and in the wild.

Operation Chough is a conservation project established at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary in Hayle in Cornwall in 1987. Our initial aim was to see the chough back and living once again on the cliffs of Cornwall. We are now working to ensure that its return is permanent and sustainable, and that the small group in Cornwall is able to maintain a healthy population into the future. We breed choughs in captivity, and are working with our partners to establish groups in several locations, and will make birds available for release in Cornwall and elsewhere to secure the future of the current population, if necessary for demographic or genetic reasons.

The Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) is a member of the crow family, distinguished by its glossy black plumage and the red of its legs and elegantly-curved bill.

To see this magnificent crow is a highlight for anyone walking along Cornwall’s coast path. The chough often draws attention to itself by making its distinctive ‘chee-ow’ call, and it can also be identified in flight by its wing shape.

The decline of the chough in Cornwall was particularly sad because of its strong relationship with the county; it even features on the official coat of arms. The natural re-population of Cornwall by the chough is a story full of hope for all who love this charismatic crow.

The Operation Chough LIVE webcam will be back next spring.

Cornwall update

The species was missing from Cornwall for nearly 40 years until 2001 when three birds arrived. These were of Irish origins and since then the species has bred every year.

The growing population is monitored by lots of volunteers, records are kept by ‘Cornwall Birds’ (aka CBWPS). We pass on all our observations and reports of sightings to Cornwall Birds.

2025 – This was another remarkable year for choughs in Cornwall with 48 confirmed breeding pairs fledging 129 young choughs, 15 more than in the 2024 breeding season. 

2024 – The Cornish Chough population grew by more than 100 birds for the second year running. The summer saw a record 55 pairs attempting to breed. Of these 42 successfully raised a brood, with 114 ‘Choughlets’ known to have fledged.

2023 – At end of 2023 there were about 300 choughs in Cornwall. 39 pairs bred successfully and produced 112 chicks.

———————————————————

Kent Reintroduction Project

Choughs photographed over Dover Castle in the first year of the release project

Choughs used to live wild in Kent and fly over the white cliffs of Dover, but the species had been missing from the area for 200 years. We established a partnership with Wildwood Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust to restore it to this historic location.

2025 – This was a stand out year for Kent chough restoration. A pair of released choughs reared and successfully fledged a chick at Dover Castle, the first wild Kentish chough for two centuries! Further releases saw a total of 27 birds flying free by the autumn.

2024 – A second cohort of Paradise Park’s birds were released, bringing the total to 19. We were delighted when one pair set up a nest at Dover Castle even though the chick did not fledge successfully.

2023 – A release aviary was built in a secluded location and the first soft release took place. Our project partner Wildwood Trust took the lead in the release, and caring for these pioneer free flying birds which are able to return to the aviary at any time for shelter and supplementary food if they wish

2021/22 – Captive-reared Choughs are introduced into a specially-built aviary at Dover Castle, an English Heritage site, to engage visitors about the species and project. Research on habitat, planning and logistics continued. 

—————————————————————

Jersey Reintroduction Project

Choughs photographed in the wild on Jersey, Channel Islands.

Choughs became locally extinct in Jersey 100 years ago. These birds need access to the ground to probe for food with their curved red bills. Of course they use the coastal cliffs, but the back up of fields grazed by livestock is a live saver for them during the breeding season and in the winter months. Changes in farming practices, when fields close to the coast were no longer used for grazing, led to a huge increase in ground-covering bracken. The project includes ongoing habitat work to improve it for choughs and many other species.

Our partner is Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust based at Jersey Zoo. We took pairs of choughs to Jersey and for several years choughs were bred in aviaries at the zoo. Young birds bred there and more from Paradise Park were released over several years until a flock became established. Here are some highlights:

2025 – In June there were 17 pairs nesting. Durrell staff ringed 29 chicks in nests but there were an additional six nests which couldn’t be accessed. Groups of up to 21 birds are seen flocking together, and the total population is 63.

2024 – A good year with sixteen chicks known to have fledged in the wild, plus a further 3 other breeding pairs may have chicks. Current chough population is about forty birds.

2016 to 2023 – Releases ended when a strong pioneer group had been established and breeding in the wild was consistent. The release aviary is maintained as a location for supplementary feeding, and to manage the birds if they need veterinary care or to replace lost leg rings.

2015 – First chick was hatched in the wild.

2013 – First release of Paradise Park’s choughs in Jersey.

2010 – We developed a partnership with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust based at Jersey Zoo.

————————————————————–

Please visit the Operation Chough website for more information.

Below is a photograph of Ray Hales weighing a chough chick at Operation Chough HQ at Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary.

Read about how the Cornish Chough was plentiful in Poldark’s day HERE