‘Nestflix’ and chicks for rare crows on livestream in Cork

Cork is a ‘stronghold’ for protected choughs in Ireland.

Birdwatchers will be chuffed to find out that they can now watch livestreams of two pairs of choughs as they prepare for breeding season.

The chough (pronounced ‘chuff’) is the rarest member of the crow family in Ireland, living mainly in the south and west coasts of the country, though Ireland is home to a large proportion of the world’s population of these birds, at about 900 breeding pairs. In contrast, the whole of the UK is estimated to have up to 500 breeding pairs.

In the last few years, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has installed cameras at Mizen Head and Clonakilty in Cork to observe and better understand the behaviours of choughs, which are protected under Irish legislation and under the EU Birds Directive due to their scarcity in Europe.

Ireland has designated 18 protected sites for the chough, with four in Co Cork.

Cork is a “stronghold” for the species, with 30pc of the Irish population, said Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan, TD, who is a west Cork native.

“I have often had the privilege of watching these playful pairs of choughs swooping and soaring along coastal cliff tops,” said O’Sullivan.

“Projects like this offer greater public access and understanding about bird life and what we can all do to protect our birds by protecting [their] habitats and reducing disturbance to nesting sites.”

The Irish name for the chough is cág cosdearg, which means red-legged jackdaw, and these crows, which are slightly bigger than the jackdaw, are known for their bright red beaks and red legs and their distinctive ‘key-aww’ call.

Choughs are insectivores, feeding mostly on insects and their larvae, worms and other invertebrates, though, like other crows, they also eat berries, grains, small mammals and birds, or anything else they can get their curved bills on.

They usually nest in caves or crevices along the coast but are adapting their habits, with more than a third of the birds in Cork now nesting in buildings such as cattle sheds, barns and abandoned buildings. “This has facilitated the installation of the live nest cameras so the public can get a rare insight into a normally hidden part of the chough’s life,” explained NPWS ecologist Clare Heardman.

“The choughs featured in both livestreams are currently building their nests, but it won’t be long before they lay. Last year, the Mizen pair laid their first egg at the end of March, and the Clonakilty pair at the beginning of April,” she said.

“During incubation the male feeds the female at the nest, but once the chicks hatch both parents provide for their hungry brood. After four to five weeks, the chicks fledge and leave the nest. So, there will be lots of activity over the coming months for people tuning in.”

Last year, a WWF report found that monitored wildlife populations have shrunk by 73pc in the last 50 years and nature is disappearing “at an alarming rate”.

In its National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030, the Irish Government laid out plans to tackle the crisis of biodiversity loss in Ireland, with actions including the expansion of national parks, strengthened action on wildlife crime, strategic targeting of invasive species, collaboration on nature-friendly farming and exploration of ways to formally recognise the rights of nature.

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