Operation Chough Webcam now live

The new breeding season has started and we are delighted to announce the chough webcam is LIVE so you can follow the progress over the next couple of months from nest building to laying eggs, hatching and chicks fledging.

The pictures for our nest cam are from our seclusion aviaries, a quiet location where we breed Red-billied Choughs as part of our long-term project for the species. We monitor all the nests and choose one to show, depending on the activity going on at any particular time.

Some of the cameras have tiny lights inside the nestbox and at night they switch to infra-red so the birds can be seen roosting, incubating eggs or brooding chicks 24 hours a day.

As well as images, there is also sound from the nests. We find this helpful to understand if the adults are doing their ‘feeding call’. This call is needed early on as the chick don’t open their eyes for a few days and need an audible signal to know that it is the right time to open their mouths for food.

During the breeding season the chicks are constantly monitored by camera, and if necessary weighed and given supplementary feed or veterinary care. If a nest needs to be accessed for this, the adult birds are encouraged to stay out of the way using positive reinforcement methods.Enjoy this special opportunity to see and hear everything as it happens.