“The time to protect a species is while it is still common.”
– Rosalie Edge
Today, Manx BirdLife has published the results of its 2025 Chough Census, and the results are concerning. The number of breeding choughs on the Isle of Man has dropped by 24% since the last census in 2014/15.
This year’s Island-wide survey, carried out between April and June, recorded just 121 breeding pairs, down from 160 when the previous census was carried out in 2014/15. It’s the first major decline in decades for this much-loved and iconic bird, often seen tumbling through the air along the Manx coast.
Despite the drop, the Isle of Man still supports a significant proportion of the total chough population of the British Isles, highlighting the Island’s importance as a stronghold for the species.
Richard Seed, the Manx BirdLife Chough Census Fieldworker commented:
“The Chough is an iconic Manx bird, and while the population here remains substantial, the declines we’ve recorded are a real concern”
The results also show changes in where Chough are nesting across the Island. There were serious declines recorded in the East and West, dropping 39% and 48%, respectively since 2015 but the South coast remains the Island’s stronghold with over a third of all breeding pairs. Inland nesting continues to grow, with Chough increasingly making use of farm buildings, tholtans, and other man-made structures. The number of pairs on the Northern Plains remained stable.
This downturn highlights the importance of ongoing monitoring, and while a decadal census provides a useful pulse check, further work is required to fully understand what’s happening with the population.
To that end, Manx BirdLife is calling for closer population monitoring, expanded colour-ringing of young birds to track their movements and survival, as well as closer collaboration with landowners and conservation partners.
Seed continued:
“By working together with farmers, landowners and conservation partners, we aim to ensure this charismatic species thrives on the Island and can be enjoyed by generations to come”
Research into the effects of land use, grazing intensity, and weather impacts is also urgently needed to understand and, hopefully, reverse the decline.
