A black bird with a red bill
The chough (pronounced “chuff”) is a member of the crow family. It is glossy black, with a long, curved, bright red bill and red legs. Its call is a high, ringing note that carries over cliff tops, and its flight is acrobatic, with tumbling dives in the wind. Seen against a dark cliff and a gray sky, the red bill and legs look striking.
In Cornwall the bird has long been a cultural emblem. It appears on the arms associated with the county and on many badges, signs and local logos. Few creatures are as closely tied to the county’s sense of itself, even though for many decades people could not see one in the wild.
The legend of King Arthur and the chough
The most famous piece of folklore is a story about King Arthur. According to a widely repeated tradition, Arthur did not die but was transformed into a chough, and the bird’s red bill and legs are the mark of his blood. For this reason, it is sometimes said, it is unlucky to harm a chough.
It is important to treat this as a legend. There is no reliable evidence that the story is ancient, and some writers believe it developed relatively late, perhaps as the county’s Arthurian associations were embraced. Whatever its age, it fits neatly into the idea of Arthurian Cornwall, in which places such as Tintagel and the cliffs of the north coast are linked with the king. The story’s charm lies in giving a rare, dramatic bird an equally dramatic origin.
Other tales speak of the chough as a bird of omen, or as a bird that steals bright objects, in the manner of crows and jackdaws. As with many animal stories, the details change with the teller. Collectively they form part of the wider body of Cornish legends and folklore.
Habitat and diet
Choughs favor coastal cliffs, sea caves and short, grazed grassland. They nest in crevices in rock faces and in sea caves, and sometimes in old buildings. Their feeding habits matter a great deal to their survival. The birds probe the ground with their long bills, looking for insects and their larvae, including ants and beetle grubs, in short turf. Such turf is typically kept short by grazing animals.
That detail explains much of their history. Where cattle, sheep or ponies graze coastal pasture and cliff slopes, the bird finds food. Where grazing stops and the grass grows long, or the land becomes covered with dense scrub, feeding becomes harder. Conservation groups often highlight the link between choughs and traditional grazing in places of coastal heathland and clifftop pasture, much as moorland grazing supports other wildlife inland.
Decline and disappearance
Choughs were once found around many parts of the British coast. Over time they became much rarer in Cornwall. Specialists usually point to several likely causes, and the relative weight of each is debated:
- A decline in grazing and changes in farming, which reduced suitable feeding ground.
- Past persecution and collection, including the taking of birds and eggs.
- Changing land use and the loss of open coastal pasture.
By the twentieth century the bird had become very scarce in Cornwall, and it is often said that the last resident birds disappeared in the 1970s. That date is commonly repeated, though as with any rare species the final records can be uncertain. For a time Cornwall was left with an emblem and no living example of it, which may be one reason the bird acquired such a strong symbolic hold.
The return
In the early 2000s, a small number of choughs appeared on the Lizard peninsula, apparently without having been released by people, and the birds were reported to have bred successfully there shortly afterward. The event drew wide attention, with many people welcoming it as a kind of homecoming.
Since then, conservation work has supported the birds, including efforts to maintain suitable grazing on the cliffs and to monitor nests, sometimes with the help of volunteers and landowners. The numbers have grown since the first arrivals, though the population is still small compared with the bird’s cultural fame, and its future depends on continued care of its habitat. Anyone wanting current figures should check conservation organizations, because they change from year to year.
Seeing a chough
If you hope to see one, the Lizard and some parts of the north and west Cornish coast are typically mentioned, though sightings are never guaranteed. A few considerations apply.
- Keep a respectful distance. Choughs and other cliff-nesting birds are protected, and disturbing nests is an offense in many circumstances. Stay on paths.
- Take care on cliffs. Edges can be unstable and the wind strong, so keep well back and follow local guidance on coastal safety.
- Binoculars help. The birds can be shy, and they often feed on the ground well away from paths.
- Do not feed wildlife. It can alter natural behavior.
- Expect to share the habitat. The same cliffs may hold coastal seabirds and other wildlife, so go quietly.
The Cornish coast changes with the seasons, and the best times for watching can vary, so check local information before setting out.
Why the chough matters
The chough’s story has become a small tale of loss and return. It stands for the idea that a symbol can disappear from the landscape and still live on in culture, and that a place can find its emblem again. For many people in Cornwall it adds a living dimension to the heraldry, folklore and branding that have borrowed its image for generations. Alongside the flag and the saint, it is one of the best-known emblems of the county, and perhaps the only one that can still be seen overhead on a windy cliff.