Yellow-billed chough

    Pyrrhocorax graculus

Castilian: Chova piquigualda

Catalan: Gralla de bec groc

Gallego: Choia de bico amarelo

Euskera: Belatxinga mokohoria

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Corvidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

Its high mountainous habitat prevents it from sufferent significant threats, since it is not affected by hikers, unless climbers are near the nests or roosts.

Length / size: 36-39 cm / 65-74 cm

Identification: Crow with bright black plumage, strong red legs, and a yellow bill. It is similar to the red-billed chough but differs in these characteristics and this bird's tail is longer.

Song: Short, rough, hoarse "kayaar" calls.

Diet: With an omnivorous diet, it searches for invertebrates in spring and rocky places and meadows in summer. It needs open areas with pastureland where it can feed on cattle dung. In winter it descends to areas where there are hikers or other human presence in order to take advantage of the scraps they leave.

Reproduction: The breeding period begins in April with the construction of simple nests located in inaccessible parts of rocky walls. They normally form breeding colonies. The female is responsible for incubation but both parents feed the chicks.

HABITAT

It occupies alpine areas above the tree line, where it reaches elevations of up to 2,800 metres. It is common in scree and rocky walls of high mountains.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: Limited to the mountainous area in the northern part of the peninsula, from the Cantabrian Mountains to the Pyrenees.

In Castile and León: The principal concentration is located in northern León, and it is abundant in Burgos and Palencia.

Movements and migrations: It is a resident species but it migrates during the winter in search of food and often in numerous groups.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 10000-11000 breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of 500-800 breeding pairs.