Natural threats Red-billed chough

red-billed chough (left) can distinguished alpine chough in flight deeper primary fingers , tail wedge. wings extend further, or beyond tail tip, when standing.

the red-billed chough s predators include peregrine falcon, golden eagle , eurasian eagle-owl, while common raven take nestlings. in northern spain, red-billed choughs preferentially nest near lesser kestrel colonies. small insectivorous falcon better @ detecting predator , more vigorous in defence corvid neighbours. breeding success of red-billed chough in vicinity of kestrels found higher of birds elsewhere, lower percentage of nest failures (16% near falcon, 65% elsewhere).

this species parasitised great spotted cuckoo, brood parasite eurasian magpie primary host. red-billed choughs can acquire blood parasites such plasmodium, study in spain showed prevalence less 1 percent, , unlikely affect life history , conservation of species. these low levels of parasitism contrast higher prevalence in other passerine groups; example study of thrushes in russia showed fieldfares, redwings , song thrushes sampled carried haematozoans, particularly haemoproteus , trypanosoma.

red-billed choughs can carry mites, study of feather mite gabucinia delibata, acquired young birds few months after fledging when join communal roosts, suggested parasite improved body condition of host. possible feather mites enhance feather cleaning , deter pathogens, , may complement other feather care measures such sunbathing, , anting—rubbing plumage ants (the formic acid insects deters parasites).