Where to see choughs

Two choughs perched on a rooftop — A pair of Cornish choughs | © National Trust Images/Shaun Boyns

After a long absence, choughs are returning to many coastal places where they were once a familiar sight, particularly in Cornwall and Pembrokeshire. Why not enjoy a spot of birdwatching while you take in dramatic sea views and explore historic buildings?

The chough is a red-legged, red-beaked member of the crow family with historic connections to Cornwall and Wales. Listen out for its loud and distinctive 'chee-ow' call and look for it digging for insects on open grassland or showing off its aerial skills in clifftop winds.

Abereiddi to Abermawr, Pembrokeshire: The wild stretch of Abereiddi coastline offers secluded beaches, ruins and a flooded quarry called the Blue Lagoon. Choughs breed here too, so look out for them flying on the sea breezes all year round.Plan your visit to the Abereiddi coast
Botallack, Cornwall: Visit the engine houses of Botallack, a former tin mine that's perched on the cliffs, and look out for choughs floating on the breeze overhead.Plan your visit to Botallack
Giant’s Causeway, County Antrim: This legendary geological feature in County Antrim is formed from 40,000 basalt columns. Choughs are rarer here, but keep your eyes peeled and you might just spot one.Plan your visit to Giant's Causeway
Levant Mine and Beam Engine, Cornwall: Another remnant of Cornwall's Tin Coast, Levant Mine is home to a working 19th-century engine powered by steam, as well as a certain red-legged member of the crow family.Plan your visit to Levant Mine

Views from a holiday cottage at Lizard Point, Cornwall — Views from a holiday cottage at Lizard Point | © National Trust Images/Paul Watts

Lizard Point, Cornwall: The cliffs of the Lizard peninsula are where the first choughs were spotted in 2001 after a 50-year absence from Cornwall. They're now a common sight at Lizard Point.Plan your visit to Lizard Point
Kynance Cove, Cornwall: Around 2.5 miles from the Lizard, the tidal beach at Kynance Cove is known for its white sand, turquoise sea and rock stacks. Choughs can often be seen probing for food on the clifftop turf above it.Plan your visit to Kynance Cove
Porthor, Gwynedd: You can find Porthor on the rugged northern coastline of the Llŷn Peninsula, which is famous for its 'whistling sands', and is also a good place to spot choughs.Plan your visit to Porthor
Rhosili and South Gower Coast, Swansea: Wildlife lovers can go seal-spotting on Worms Head and chough-watching along this coastland, which includes the three-mile sandy beach of Rhosili Bay.Plan your visit to Rhosili and South Gower Coast

A view from a cliff top looking down towards a rocky cove which almost completely encircles a blue-green lagoon known as the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi, with the sea stretching out towards the horizon beyond. — The Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi, on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path | © NTPL/David Sellman

Stackpole, Pembrokeshire: Stackpole is a Grade I-listed historic landscape within a 3,000-acre estate on the Pembrokeshire coast, where a small number of chough breed in caves and crevices in the cliffs.Plan your visit to Stackpole
St Agnes Head, Cornwall: Take in the sea views at St Agnes Head and look out for choughs using their curved beaks to dig for grubs and insects on the areas of open heathland.Plan your visit to St Agnes Head
St David’s Peninsula, Pembrokeshire: St David’s Peninsula has wide views and a rich history. It's also a birdwatcher's paradise, with peregrine falcons, ravens and swifts breeding here, along with choughs.Plan your visit to St David’s Peninsula
Strumble Head to Cardigan, Pembrokeshire: Look out for choughs over this rugged and remote expanse of towering cliffs and rocky outcrops as you follow the coastal paths and take in the sea views.Plan your visit to Strumble Head to Cardigan