Seasonal variation in coprophagic foraging in alpine choughs Pyrrhocorax graculus

Coprophagy, defined as the ingestion of faeces sourced from either self (autocoprophagy), conspecific animals (allocoprophagy), or heterospecific animals (heterocoprophagy), is recognized as a physiological adaptation that enhances nutritional intake and may contribute to gut microbiome stability. While well‐documented in mammals, coprophagy remains poorly studied in wild birds. Here, we report both auto‐ and allocoprophagy in a corvid species, the alpine chough Pyrrhocorax graculus . We observed a rare case of adult–adult allocoprophagy, including competition for conspecifics faeces. Additionally, alpine choughs frequently consumed their own faeces, a common behaviour in wild mammals but largely unreported in birds. Coprophagy was exclusively observed during winter, suggesting it may serve to enhance nutrient intake during periods of food scarcity or facilitate microbial adaptation to seasonal dietary shifts. By providing the first documentation of coprophagy in alpine choughs, this study adds to the limited records of this behaviour in wild birds and contributes to its mechanistic understanding.