Red Billed Chough breeding and reintroduction
Choughs have been absent from the wild in Kent for over 200 years due to habitat loss and historical persecution. Yet, this species has retained a deep cultural link throughout Kent's history - these iconic birds can be spotted on pub signs across our county as well as on the Canterbury coat of arms itself.
The reintroduction of the chough will drive the restoration of this and other important habitats along our coastline which will benefit the recovery of other wildlife. Now, it is more important than ever to return missing species and the complex habitats on which they depend.
In Kent, the chough went extinct over 200 years ago and without help is unlikely to return
Woven into our history
Despite once being a common sight on the coasts of Kent and across England, the species became extinct in England in the mid-1900’s but the species returned to Cornwall from Ireland in 2001, following decades of habitat restoration and this population is increasing.
Intensification of farming has reduced viable habitat and with it the specialist diet of insects these birds feed on.
Historic persecution following the Acte for the Preservation of Grayne in 1566 also contributed to the species decline.
We know chough were once abundant here from historical records and literature. They are depicted on the Canterbury coat of arms and in the story of Thomas Becket’s murder.
Saving them from extinction
Choughs are unlike other corvids and have quite specific habitat requirements. They like to nest on cliffs to remain safe from predators, and they also require insect-rich grassland to forage for food.
Dover is well known for its cliffs, but what the cliffs are made of is also very important for chough. Chalk grassland is an incredibly rare habitat, with 50% of all global chalk grassland being located in England. It has one of Western Europe's most diverse plant communities and also exceptionally high insect biodiversity.
A successful chough restoration project was trialed on the island of Jersey between 2013-2018 which has restored the species back to Jersey. The project was a partnership between Jersey Zoo, the States of Jersey and The National Trust for Jersey. We are extremely grateful to our colleagues at Jersey Zoo for their generous advice and guidance. Many of the techniques developed on Jersey are being used to guide the Kent project.
Strongholds of chough remain in Ireland and Wales, but the limited dispersal ability of this species means they require assistance to re-establish populations, even where habitat is suitable.
Wildwood's successful breeding
Wildwood has contributed to this project and continues to do so by successfully breeding choughs for release into the wild.
This exciting project would not have been possible without the breeding programme for the species which has been managed by Paradise Park in Cornwall for over 30 years. We work closely with Paradise Park who set up our breeding pairs of chough at Wildwood.
Conservation breeding requires particular techniques to ensure that these birds will be able to survive in the wild and will have the necessary social skills to mate and live alongside each other. Occasionally keepers assist in the rearing of chicks to ensure the maximum number of chicks survive.
The parent birds have also been specially selected to ensure genetic diversity is high and the risk of in-breeding is low.
The project
With our partners Kent Wildlife Trust, we are reintroducing this magnificent bird to the cliffs of Dover.
We are also indebted to other stakeholders in this project including Paradise Park in Cornwall, the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, English Heritage and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at Jersey Zoo.
We could not have set this project up without the unwavering support of the public. Thanks to your generous donations and other funding, we are well on our way to seeing these acrobatic birds soaring above the cliffs of Kent again.
The future
The reintroduction of the Red-billed chough to Kent is the first step in a much broader vision to help restore the birds across Southern England and their coastal habitat.
If you would like to get involved, please contact suzanne@wildwoodtrust.org to find out more.
