Exceptionally rare African pied crow spotted hanging around with seagulls in Cornwall

There are only three recent sightings - including the one in Cornwall - of such a bird according to the Rare Bird Alert website

Graeme Wilkinson

20:19, 20 APR 2019

UPDATED21:02, 20 APR 2019

An African bird – which is exceptionally rare in the UK – has been spotted hanging around bins with a pair of seagulls in west Cornwall.

Jude Kirk saw the raven-sized black and white bird in the town of St Just this week.

She said she knew at once it was not a magpie, although it shares the same kind of coloured plumage.

After research on the internet, it is believed the bird is an African pied crow – which is not resident to Europe at all.

She said: “It was hanging out with a jackdaw and a pair of seagulls by the recycling bins in the car park in St Just.

 “I immediately thought it looked unusual. I am not a ‘twitcher’ but I do take an interest in birds but I couldn’t identify it at all.

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