Season two of the hit ‘Nestflix’ series starring two very special West Cork families is now available internationally, as the livestreams from the homes of two chough families went live recently.
Produced by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), cameras have been installed by two pairs of chough birds based at their nests in both Clonakilty and on the Mizen peninsula.
Following last year’s cliffhanger, the choughs, who recently returned to Mizen Head and Clonakilty, are now beginning to build their nests.
Members of the public can watch the lovebirds’ journeys on YouTube here.
The chough, a vocal bird, is the rarest member of the crow family in Ireland and is largely confined to the south and west coasts.
There are around 900 pairs of choughs breeding in Ireland, and Cork is home to 30% of the national population. Due to its scarcity in Europe, choughs are protected under Irish national legislation and also the EU Birds Directive.
Choughs are vocal birds which means that the livestream comes with one of nature’s livelier soundtracks.
Over the past few years, the NPWS has installed cameras at two locations around Cork to observe and better understand the behaviour of choughs and what helps them to breed and thrive.
Clonakilty native and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD said that because of his childhood 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 choughs swooping and soaring along coastal cliff-tops. Not everyone has the chance to see this beautiful bird with its bright red beak and red legs.’
Clare Heardman, ecologist with the NPWS said that the birds traditionally nest in crevices in sea cliffs, but some are changing their nesting habits.
‘In Cork more than a third of choughs are now nesting in buildings such as cattle sheds, hay barns and abandoned buildings. This has facilitated the installation of the live nest cameras so the public can get a rare insight into a normally hidden part of the chough’s life. The choughs featured in both livestreams are currently building their nests but it won’t be long before they lay. 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.’
