Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linnaeus, 1758)

2016-01-11 Tashanta. Kash-Agachsky raion. Altai Republic.	© Liudmila Pozhidaeva

Biology

Common resident. Inhabits the alpine belt with rocky meadows at 1700-4000 m in Tien Shan and 1000-2500 m in Altai. In winter occurs on trash heaps in the human settlements in mountain, and rare recorded in foothills. Breeding in small groups or colonies of about 50 pairs. Nest is located in cleft or break of cliff at height 2-20 m from the cliff base, or in attic of the human building; nest is built from the thin twigs, dry grass and is lined with plenty of hair and some feathers, or with moss, rootlets and grass by both parents. Clutch of 4-6 eggs is laid in early April – early May. Only female incubates over 17-18 days. Both parents feed juveniles, which fledge at age of 38 days, in mid June to end of July. During most of the year occurs in flocks of up to 200 birds.

References