17/05/2026
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Choughs have been spotted at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall for the first time in decades, a sighting carrying particular weight given the bird's deep connection to the legend of King Arthur.
In Cornish tradition, Arthur's soul was said to live on in the form of a chough, and when the birds disappeared from the county in the mid-20th century, it was widely regarded as a bad omen, the chough being one of the key symbols of Cornwall.
Tintagel Castle is the site associated with Arthur's conception in Cornish legend, and the birds' return to the headland has been described by English Heritage as a rare moment where nature and myth appear to meet.
Chough numbers have been steadily recovering since a breeding pair arrived near the Lizard in 2021, with sightings now spreading to new parts of the county for the first time in a generation.
