A rare species of bird is thriving again in the British countryside decades after it was almost entirely wiped out.
Choughs are the official bird of Cornwall and appear on its coat of arms but they vanished in from the county in the 1970s after their eggs were repeatedly targeted
by poachers.
by poachers.
Conservationists launched a bid to re-introduce them after a single pair were spotted in 2001 and since then small colonies have emerged at managed sites at Land's End, Newquay and Cadgwith.
So far this year 17 baby choughs have been born - the best annual tally to date.
New colonies are also appearing across the UK, with sightings in Wales, the Western Isles in Scotland as well as the Isle of Man.
The total number of mating pairs is now thought to be much higher than the 435 counted back in 2002.
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