Crows and jays · Perching birds
Red-billed Chough
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Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
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Voice
Call
Call
Song
How to recognize it
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Jackdaw-sized, 39–40 cm
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Glossy black plumage with green or blue sheen
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Long curved red bill, red legs
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Loud ringing "chee-ow"; buoyant, acrobatic flight
About the species
Glossy black plumage, a long red bill, and red legs give the red-billed chough a sharp look against cliffs and short grass. In flight it often moves with buoyant, acrobatic turns, and its ringing call carries well.
It lives in pairs that keep the same mate and nesting place for years, and it often nests in a cliff crevice, cave, or similar gap. The voice is a loud "chee-ow", and several calling together can sound like a row from a distance. It feeds on the ground, probing for insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates, and may hide food in cracks for later.
This chough stays year-round in its range. It uses high mountains and coastal cliffs, along with nearby short grazed grassland, and in some places it also nests on buildings and in old quarries. In summer it takes mostly animal prey, then turns more to berries, seeds, and other plant food later in the year.
Where to find
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On old stone buildings, bridges, and fortress walls — Red-billed Chough often sits on a ledge or in a crack, calling with a sharp ringing cry.
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Along steep riverbanks and canal edges — especially where a path runs beside the drop and the grass is short, it feeds with quick steps on the ground.
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Near quarries, embankments, and vacant lots with sparse low grass — look for it pulling insects from the turf and trotting across open patches.
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On windy slopes and hilly park edges — in the morning its light, buoyant flights and sudden calls from a wall or outcrop are easy to notice.
