Scientific name: Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bird group: Crows
Field characters. 38 cm. Plumage black with blue gloss; legs and long decurved bill are bright red. Juveniles are similar, but lack gloss and have a shorter bill. Shape, length, and colouration of bill are main distinguishing marks between this species and Alpine Chough. A dextrous flier which often performs acrobatics. Has a characteristic silhouette in flight: tail broad and short, wings with widely separated, upcurved primaries. It is sociable, but not gregarious.
Voice. A musical, high-pitched "kyaah"; also a gull-like "kwukukuk" and mewing noises.
Distribution. Locally common resident, but has a rather fragmentary distribution due to habitat preferences.
Habitat. Short-turf pastures to feed, with cliffs and precipices nearby to breed, in mountains, steppe, or along coasts. Builds nest in crevices of cliffs and rocks, caves and ruins of buildings, solitary or in small colonies. Often seen soaring over sea-cliffs and mountains; forages also on arable land near nest.
Food. Mainly insects, but also other invertebrates, and sometimes lizards.