Tune in for some live caw-verage!

People are “crowing” mad for ‘Nestflix Season Two’ which features two livestreams each showing a pair of choughs (pronounced chuff) as they go about building their nests, raising their young, and having noisy “conversations” with each other.

As with last year’s season, cameras have been set up in both Mizen Head and Clonakilty. Links for both livestreams can be found on npws.ie.

Undertaken by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the project will allow experts to observe and better understand the behaviour of chough and what helps them to breed and thrive.

The chough is the rarest member of the crow family in Ireland and is largely confined to the south and west coasts. Larger than the jackdaw, choughs are distinguished by their bright red beak, red legs, and characteristic call. There are around 900 pairs of chough breeding in Ireland according to the NPWS, and county Cork is the stronghold for the species with 30% of the national population. Due to its scarcity in Europe, chough are protected under Irish national legislation with a number of special protection areas (SPAs) having been designated to help conserve it.

Cork TD and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, said: “As someone born and raised in West Cork, the distinctive call of the chough has been part of the soundtrack of my life.

“I have often had the privilege of watching these playful pairs of chough swooping and soaring along coastal cliff-tops.

“Projects like this offer greater public access and understanding about bird life and what we can all do to protect our birds.

“Ireland is of outstanding global importance for this species, supporting over 60% of the biogeographic population.

“Ireland is committed to ensuring this special bird thrives through a network of 18 protected sites, four of which are located in Co Cork,” added the Fianna Fáil TD.

According to Clare Heardman, Ecologist with the NPWS, the choughs featured in both livestreams are currently building their nests but it won’t be long before they lay.

She said: “Last year the Mizen pair laid their first egg at the end of March, and the Clonakilty pair at the beginning of April.

“Up to five eggs were laid in each nest in 2024, with the chicks hatching from late April. During incubation, the male feeds the female at the nest, but once the chicks hatch, both parents provide for their hungry brood. After four to five weeks, the chicks fledge and leave the nest. So, there will be lots of activity over the coming months for people tuning in,” added Ms Heardman.

Both livestreams can be found on the @GlengarriffNatureReserve on YouTube or via npws.ie.