Census shows 24% decline in chough population

Breeding pair of choughs were recorded as part of the census

The chough population on the Isle of Man has decline by almost a quarter over the past decade, the latest census of the species has revealed.

The survey, which was undertaken in April and June, recorded 121 pairs of breeding choughs, down 24% on the 160 recorded in 2014.

Manx Birdlife field worker Richard Seed, who carried out the survey, said the birds were "real icon of the Manx coastline" and their decline was of "real concern".

However, he said conservationists have "still got time to act while there is some abundance" of the species on the island.

He said while the population remained stable in the south of the island, the population in the west had declined by 48%, and by 39% in the east.

He said although the 10-year census provided a "useful pulse check", the "scale of this downturn" showed more regular data was needed to "fully understand what is happening".

Members of the crow family, choughs have glossy black plumage and distinctive red bills and legs.

Mr Seed said the birds were "acrobatic in the way they fly and cheeky in the way they call", which made them "a bird that captures public attention".

The 2025 count recorded 121 breeding pairs of the species on the island

Further monitoring was needed to identify the causes of the decline, Mr Seed said, but previous research on the island in the UK indicated that changing use of land from traditional farms may have had an impact.

He also said that weather events such as more frequent or stronger storms or drier springs and summers could also be leading to a decline.

However, Mr Seed said the island had historically been a "hotspot" for the species, with the 2014-15 census showing a third of the choughs in the British Isles being recorded on the Isle of Man.

He said there was "probably a slight undercount" due to challenges accessing certain areas, but as the same methodology as previous counts was used, it provided comparable data.

"We are definitely confident from the data that we have there is a decline but how extreme that decline is, is difficult from a 10-year census," he said.

Manx BirdLife has called for closer population monitoring going forward, with a focus on the survival within the Manx population and its movements.