Thought you might be interested to see a photograph of the red-billed Chough, photographed on the battlements of Camelot Castle.
The story of the chough and how it speaks for people, members of the crow family – the chough.
Is there a connection between this bird and Celtic speaking areas?
The chough is by far the least common member of the crow family (corvidae) in Britain and Ireland. The other members include the very common carrion crow, hooded crow, magpie, rook and jackdaw, as well as the widespread jay and a growing population of raven. By contrast the chough is found in only a few remote locations along the Atlantic coast, often far from human habitation.
But, the story of the relationship between chough and people is more intimate than this might suggest and legend has it that when King Arthur was ‘killed’ he did not die but was transformed into a chough, the birds blood red beak and legs serving as a reminder of the act.
Consequently, the tale also states that bad luck follows anyone who kills a chough. It is impossible to know how old this tale really is as the legend of King Arthur is obscured by the little knowledge we have of the period usually referred to as the Dark Ages. If he had lived it is suggested it would have been around the late 6th and early 7th century CE. What is more certain is that his legend is strongly attached to the location of Tintagel on the Atlantic facing coast of north Cornwall where both Arthur and the chough have become icons of the county.
Best wishes from all the family and Teddy 
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