Operation Chough Webcam

The 2025 Operation Chough breeding season has now finished.

It has been a year of change for our breeding choughs, with lots of new pairings. Due to Avian Influenza restrictions, the choughs were quite late going into their breeding aviaries, and this has probably reduced our total number of chicks produced.

This year we set up eight breeding pairs – five in the purpose-built seclusion aviaries, two pairs in the large polytunnel aviaries, and one pair in a public display aviary. Some of our choughs are now past breeding age, and some are too young. So this year most of the pairs are new breeders. Only two pairs have bred before.

All the pairs made nests – which is a good sign, showing they are all ready to breed. However, only four pairs laid eggs giving a total of sixteen eggs.

Six eggs hatched to produce chicks, and five of the chicks fledged. The chick which died was likely to have been a victim of the hot spring weather.

The five chough chicks are now getting their wings, and learning to fend for themselves. Most of these birds will soon be off to Kent, as part of our chough restoration in Southern England. We have choughs breeding at other collections, and these will also be part of the release program.

KENT RE-INTRODUCTION PROJECT
Chicks bred this year will be supplementing the growing flock of released choughs in Kent as part of the ongoing Chough Re-instroduction Program.

With thanks to our partners at Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust who raised funds so that we could increase the number of aviaries in 2024 available for chough breeding.

JERSEY RE-INTRODUCTION PROJECT
For news on the reintroduction of the species in Jersey, where choughs bred here at Paradise Park are now living free after an absence of 100 years, go to the ‘Returning the red-billed chough to Jersey‘ page. There are now about 60 choughs flying free in Jersey, most of them having fledged in the wild with thanks to our partners at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

DONATE
If you would like to make a donation to help the work of ‘Operation Chough’ here at Paradise Park we would be extremely grateful. Thank you xx

Or Via PAYPAL With the option for one-off or monthly donations.
Please click here 

Find out about our work, history, achievements and lots more on our dedicated Operation Chough website.

Photo: Ray weighing a chough chick at Operation Chough HQ.

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