Interesting observation by our seal researcher, Alys Perry. A day visitor had found a dead chough near Aber Mawr and pushed it into a crack in a drystone wall in case we wanted to check it out later. Alys went to have a look on her way back, to check for rings etc, and discovered a flock of 25 chough gathered around it with a great commotion going on. Some birds were trying to pull the dead bird out of the wall while others were gently pecking it or nudging it with their beaks.
I've heard of other corvid species reacting to dead conspecifics but this is the first time I've witnessed it in chough (well I didn't, Alys did!) - it was the reason, i was told, farmers hang shot crows around crops to cause unrest amongst the others and keep them away - although on this evidence it would have drawn more in!
I did once witness a 'fight to the death' between 2 chough which drew a large gathering of fellow observers. A similar commotion ensued and the dead bird was then also pecked at by the group.
