How the chough - a once extinct bird in Cornwall - made an amazing comeback

Cornwall now has a population of more than 200 choughs. Credit: Adrian Langdon

A bird that was once extinct in Cornwall has returned to the county's inland nature reserves following restoration efforts.

Cornish choughs have been spotted daily at Bostraze and Bartinney Nature Reserve, in Penwith, for the first time since their return to the county's coastline.

The birds disappeared from Cornwall completely during the mid-century, but have grown in numbers since their recolonisation in 2001 thanks to the work of conservationists.

A record-breaking number of choughs fledged from nests in Cornwall in 2023, with 112 chicks born from 39 pairs, according to conservationists.

Cornwall Birds Chough Project Coordinator Hilary Mitchell, said the return of the chough to the county's inland nature reserves represents an "amazing conservation success."

She said: "Cornish chough often range quite widely, particularly in autumn and winter and it is really encouraging that some of our birds have identified the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Bartinnet and Bostraze reserves as good feeding areas."

"The reserves are not far from the Penwith coast as the chough flies so will potentially have been important foraging areas for adults raising chicks in the spring," she added.

Cornish choughs have been spotted at Bostraze Nature Reserve. Credit: Ben Watkins

The loss of short-grazed grassland habitat was one of the main reasons the birds became extinct in Cornwall.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been restoring the pastures on Bostraze and Bartinney Nature Reserve to wildlife-rich, semi-natural grasslands, since acquiring the land in 2014.

Nick Marriot, West Cornwall Reserves Manager for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, explained: “At these reserves, we practice conservation grazing, which is the use of livestock where the primary objective is to manage a site for wildlife."

He added: “For choughs to be coming inland to our reserves is a first – and really exciting, as it shows how well they are doing."

Part of the crow family, choughs are easily identifiable by their shiny black colour, red bills and legs.

Cornwall Birds (CBWPS) monitor the number of choughs in Cornwall and are keen for anyone who spots one to get in touch.