This year we have nine pairs of choughs set up in breeding aviaries at Paradise Park. Five pairs are in the new purpose-built set of seclusion aviaries, three are in the original seclusions, and one pair is in a public display aviary.

We still have twenty-four other choughs in the two large polytunnel flight aviaries – and it may be that birds in these aviaries will also make breeding attempts.

The birds make some remarkable sounds while they are checking the inside of their boxes for possible flaws and parasites. Once both birds are content with the suitability of the box, nest building will begin in earnest.

We bring in bags and bags of twigs, which have to be disinfected with a fogging machine due to the possible risk of avian influenza. This process will be repeated with the mosses and lichens at a later stage.

The chicks produced this year will become part of the project to re-establish the Red-billed Chough in Kent and Southern England.

The cameras can be seen here. https://chough.org/chough-nest-webcam