We were pleased to host a group of chough and reintroduction specialists at Paradise Park, the home of Operation Chough, to plan for the potential reintroduction of the Red-billed Chough to the coast of Kent.

Meeting of chough and reintroduction specialists at Paradise Park, Cornwall.

Joining us were Prof Carl Jones from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Conservation Scientist and author on choughs Dr Malcolm Burgess, Dr Angus Carpenter from Wildwood Trust in Kent and Lawrence Sampson, PhD student at the University of Kent.

The chough currently lives in isolated populations around the UK coast – in West Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, the West of Cornwall, Northern Ireland, plus the released group on Jersey. It was once more widespread and formerly occurred in Kent where it became extinct around 160 years ago.

Items on the agenda included a presentation on the background of Operation Chough and achievements to date. The relevence of Richard Meyer’s thesis on the re-establishment of the chough in Cornwall to Lawrence’s study on the Kent coast. Breeding choughs and aviary design, facilities and opportunities for partnership with Wildwood.

In a few years time, if research shows that suitable habitat is available and with more partners, this could be a first step to seeing choughs over the white cliffs of Dover for the first time in living memory!

We were pleased to meet Lawrence Sampson, the student chosen for a three-year PhD study with the title ‘The Restoration of an Extinct Kentish Icon: Feasibility of Reintroducing the Chough to Kent’. This will be at the University of Kent, in Canterbury – a city which features three choughs on its coat of arms.

Lawrence Sampson with Ray Hales and friends at Paradise Park (A Hales)

This project builds on the experience of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust which has pioneered bird reintroductions in Mauritius as well as the Chough reintroduction to Jersey through the Birds on the Edge project. The project will also partner with Operation Chough, based at Paradise Park in Cornwall, which has led the ex situ components of the reintroduction programme; Kent Wildlife Trust, which owns and manages a network of Local Wildlife Sites in the county; and Wildwood Trust in Kent, a leading centre for the conservation and rewilding of British Wildlife.

Canterbury Coat of Arms by Dan Escott

Supervisors for the study are Dr Dave Roberts, Dr Jim Groombridge, Dr Bob Smith, Professor Richard A. Griffiths, with Professor Carl Jones MBE as advisor.

Lawrence is from Cornwall, has a background in studying birds, and was chosen from a shortlist of excellent candidates. We will be happy to give him every assistance with his work and hoping that he finds a positive way forward towards the reintroduction of the chough to Kent.

Read more here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/dice/news/index.html?view=1852