chough

chough
/chuf/, n.
any of several crowlike Old World birds, esp. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, of Europe.
[1275-1325; ME choghe; akin to OE ceo, D kauw, Dan kaa]

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bird
 any of three crowlike birds with down-curved bills. In the family Corvidae (q.v.; order Passeriformes) are the common chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), of sea cliffs and rocky uplands from the British Isles to China, and the alpine chough (P. graculus), of high mountains from Morocco and Spain to the Himalayas. Both are about 38 cm (15 inches) long and glossy blue-black; the former is red-billed, the latter yellow-billed. These choughs are gregarious, have whistling calls, and are aerial acrobats. In the family Grallinidae is the white-winged chough (Corcorax melanorhamphus) of Australian forests. It is almost identical to the corvid choughs but has white wing patches and a less powerful, black bill. Flocks feed on the ground, with much jumping about. The mud-walled nest, high in a tree, is made and used cooperatively.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chough — In the Bernese Alps, Switzerland Scientific classification Kingdom: A …   Wikipedia

  • Chough — Chough, n. [OE. choughe, kowe (and cf. OE. ca), fr. AS. ce[ o]; cf. also D. kauw, OHG. ch[=a]ha; perh. akin to E. caw. [root]22. Cf. {Caddow}.] (Zo[ o]l.) A bird of the Crow family ({Fregilus graculus}) of Europe. It is of a black color, with a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • chough — ► NOUN ▪ a black bird of the crow family with a red or yellow downcurved bill. ORIGIN probably from the sound of the bird s call …   English terms dictionary

  • chough — [chuf] n. [ME < IE base * gou , to cry, scream > MDu cauwe, jackdaw, Ger kauz, screech owl] any of various crowlike birds; esp., a European bird (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) of the crow family, with red legs and beak and glossy, black feathers …   English World dictionary

  • chough — /tʃʌf / (say chuf) noun 1. either of two glossy black corvine birds, the red billed chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, and the yellow billed chough, or Alpine chough, P. graculus, of Eurasia and north western Africa. 2. white winged chough, a sooty …  

  • Chough — Member of the crow family (Pyrrhocoraxpyrrhocorax) found on sea cliffs. One story has it that King Arthur s soul migrated into a chough. [< OldEngl. ceog = a chough] …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • chough — [tʃʌf] noun 1》 a black bird of the crow family with a red or yellow downcurved bill, typically frequenting mountains and sea cliffs. [Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and other species.] 2》 (white winged chough) a black and white Australian songbird.… …   English new terms dictionary

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  • chough — noun Etymology: Middle English Date: 13th century either of two Old World birds (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax and P. graculus) that are related to the crows and have red legs and glossy blue black plumage …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • chough — noun /tʃʌf/ a) Two species of bird of the genus Pyrrhocorax in the crow family Corvidae that breed mainly in high mountains and on coastal sea cliffs of Eurasia. b) A monotypic bird genus in the Australian mud nest builders family, Corcoracidae,… …   Wiktionary

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