A. Robertson et al., HABITAT SELECTION AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF BREEDING CHOUGHS PYRRHOCORAX-PYRRHOCORAX L IN COUNTY DONEGAL, Biology and environment, 95B(1), 1995, pp. 69-74
The chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax L. is largely restricted to areas o
f low-input agricultural land in the UK and Ireland. In parts of their
range their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years follow
ing changes in land use. In this study, the relative importance of eig
ht major habitat types to the foraging requirements of five breeding p
airs of choughs in County Donegal was investigated. For each pair the
area within a defined home range was classified according to habitat t
ype, and both habitat use and foraging behaviour were monitored. Inver
tebrate samples were also collected. Most pairs preferentially foraged
in machair and maritime turf and avoided heather and improved pasture
. Rough grass was also important, although to a lesser degree. Birds s
pent longer actively feeding in machair where a greater range of inver
tebrates were available. Our results are supportive of those obtained
in previous studies and emphasise the importance of machair as a prima
ry foraging habitat.