Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus)

Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linnaeus, 1766))

Scientific name: Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name: Alpine Chough
French name: Chocard à bec jaune
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Size: Body size: 36 to 39 cm; Weight: 160 to 250 g; Wingspan: 70 to 80 cm.
Habitat: Mountain regions, mountain meadows, rocky cliffs. In the neighbourhood of villages in winter.
Food: Insects, snails, berries and fruits.
Nesting: The nest is made of twigs and roots. It is located in a rocky cliff cavity and sometimes under the roof of a building. The female lays 3 to 6 eggs late April early May that she incubates alone while being fed by the male.
Migration: Sedentary. They fly down to nearby valleys in winter.
Geographic area: Mountain areas of southern and central Europe, Rif and Atlas in North Africa, Mountain areas of Asia, from central Turkey to southwest China.

The Alpine Chough has a totally black plumage with shiny sheens on wings and tail.
The yellow bill is thin, short and slightly curved. The legs are red. The eyes are dark.
Juveniles have a duller plumage and dark brown legs.
Alpine Choughs move in large flocks. Their flight is acrobatic, it takes advantage of thermal updrafts and other air movements.
The song is softer and more pleasant than that of the Ravens.
The colour of the bill is the best mean to tell Alpine Choughs apart from Red-billed Choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), other black corvidae of similar size and sharing the same habitat.
The bill of the Alpine Chough is also shorter than the one of the Red-billed Chough, the tail is slightly longer and exceeds the tip of the wings when the Alpine Chough is landed.
Western Jackdaws (Coloeus monedula) are found at lower altitudes. They have a strong black bill. The nape and neck are grey. The eyes are light coloured.

Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) - Isère, France - August 11th 2015

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