Alpine Chough
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| iAlpine Chough | ||||||||||||||
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| Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
The Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), also called Yellow-billed Chough (pronounced tʃɐf) is a Eurasian member of the crow family, Corvidae.
It breeds locally in the highest mountains of southern Europe, the Alps, across central Asia and India. It is resident throughout its range. A prehistoric subspecies that lived in Europe during the last ice age was described as Pyrrhocorax graculus vetus.
It is closely related to the Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and shares its glossy black plumage and red legs. However, the Alpine Chough's long curved bill is yellow rather than red.
It is slightly smaller at 36-39 cm length and a 65-74 cm wingspan, but has a relatively longer tail and shorter wings. It has a similar buoyant and easy flight.
This bird is often gregarious and fearless. Its loud "zrrrrr" call is quite different from that of the Red-billed Chough (Laiolo et al. 2004).
Its food consists of insects in summer and berries or food scraps, especially around ski resorts, in winter. A cavity or cliff ledge is a site for the bird's nest.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Pyrrhocorax graculus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Laiolo, Paola; Rolando, Antonio; Delestrade, Anne & De Sanctis, Augusto (2004): Vocalizations and morphology: interpreting the divergence among populations of Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and Alpine Chough P. graculus. Bird Study 51(3): 248–255. HTML abstract
[edit] External links
- Alpine Chough videos on the Internet Bird Collection
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