Alpine Chough

The Alpine chough, or yellow-billed chough, is a member of the crow family, distinguished by its glossy black plumage, a striking yellow beak, red legs, and a buoyant, acrobatic flight. This bird is slightly smaller than its cousin, the red-billed chough, and can be identified by its proportionally longer tail and shorter wings.

Identification Tips

When observing the Alpine chough, look for the following key features: glossy black feathers, a short and vibrant yellow bill, dark brown eyes, and red legs. The bird's flight is characterized by widely spread flight feathers, which contribute to its agile maneuvers in the air. Juveniles appear duller with a paler yellow bill and brownish legs.

Habitat

The Alpine chough is a high-altitude specialist, favoring rocky cliffs and alpine meadows. It nests in cavities and crevices on steep cliff faces and forages in open habitats up to the tree line or lower, especially during winter.

Distribution

This species is found across high mountains from Spain through southern Europe and North Africa to Central Asia and Nepal. It is known for nesting at altitudes higher than any other bird species, with records of it following mountaineers up to 8,200 meters on Mount Everest.

Behaviour

Alpine choughs are known for their life-long pair bonds and site fidelity, often returning to the same nesting site year after year. They typically forage in flocks, which are larger in winter, and show a preference for short grazed grassland. These birds are also known to approach tourist sites in search of supplementary food.

Song & Calls

The Alpine chough's vocal repertoire includes distinctive calls such as a rippling 'preep' and a whistled 'sweeeooo'. It also emits a rolling 'churr' alarm call and various quiet warbles and squeaks when resting or feeding.

Breeding

The species is monogamous, with a breeding season that starts in early May. Nests are built on ledges or in caves and are lined with grass and hair. The female lays 3 to 5 brown-blotched whitish eggs, which have adaptations for high-altitude conditions, including fewer pores to reduce water loss.

Similar Species

The Alpine chough can be confused with the red-billed chough and the jackdaw. However, the red-billed chough has a longer red bill and different flight characteristics, while the jackdaw is smaller with unglossed grey plumage.

Diet and Feeding

During summer, the diet consists mainly of invertebrates, while in winter, it shifts to fruit such as berries and crops. The Alpine chough is also known to consume food provided by human activities in mountain regions.

Conservation status

The Alpine chough is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. Despite local population declines due to changes in agricultural practices and potential long-term threats from climate change, the species remains widespread and abundant globally.