Description:

A medium-sized, relatively small-headed and short-legged corvid. Longer, more downcurved, red bill is best feature from Alpine Chough. In flight, has broader wing-tips with more pronounced fingered primaries, and square-ended tail which equals width of wing-base.

Distribution:

Common resident and altitudinal migrant at higher elevations all across Gilgit-Baltistan. Found in high-altitude mountain pastures with rocky crags above tree-line, descending into upper valleys in winter. Altitude range from 2000m to 5000m.

Behavior:

Forages on ground in open country, typically in pairs or family parties, but large assemblies. On ground, hops, walks and runs between bouts of probing or vigorous digging; digging accompanied by wing-flicking and tail-flicking. Primarily insectivorous, almost entirely so in spring and summer. In autumn and winter, when invertebrate food more difficult to find, takes grain, seeds and small berries.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Red-billed Chough in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Red-billed Chough

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.