One of the original pair of Cornish choughs that are responsible for helping repopulate the county with the iconic birds has died after being seen 'locked in combat' with a suspected love rival.

He was part of a pair that raised 44 chicks at the Lizard since 2001.

In 2001 choughs returned to Cornwall after a long absence. They were not re-introduced, but wild birds from southern Ireland looking for a new home. Three birds settled on the Lizard, a pair bred and since then the chough population has gone from strength to strength - in 2012 five pairs fledged 18 young, a record year.

The Cornish Choughs said: "We are very sad to have to report the loss of our wonderful male chough from Southerly Point on the Lizard. Just over a week ago a volunteer witnessed two choughs locked in combat for the most part of the day, and it appears that a younger bird has ousted and probably killed the older male.

"We always joke "they will live forever’" when people ask how long the pair at Southerly Point will be around, but sadly choughs are not invincible and nature in all its rawness has won the day. An end of an era, and the loss of a very special bird.

"What a legacy that chough and his mate have left Cornwall with though. Since they returned in 2001 they have brought so much joy to those lucky enough to spend time with them and a real sense of Cornish pride enveloped them. The pair together raised 44 chicks and many of those birds have gone on to breed themselves, securing a future for choughs in Cornwall.

The Cornish Chough project said the new male, a bird often seen in the company of the Lizard pair, has adopted the old male’s chicks.

As normally a bird would try to kill any chicks that were not his, this is new "extraordinary" behaviour has possibly not previously recorded for choughs. 

The project staff say that the female, having invested so much time and energy in her new brood has accepted this new male and together they are feeding her two chicks, which are around two weeks old. 

TThe project has already seen chough fledglings this summer, with five youngsters already taking to the skies. The crazy weather has affected the breeding season with six weeks between first and last broods and the last chicks not set to fledge until early July.

The total number of young for this season is 16, two broods of five, and three broods of two. There are a further three pairs of choughs that have shown signs of breeding but they are too young this year.