The corncrake, a bird often heard but rarely seen, holds a unique place in the natural world. This elusive species, known scientifically as Crex crex, is celebrated for its distinctive, rasping call that echoes across meadows during summer nights. Its secretive nature and the haunting sound it produces have long captivated naturalists and casual observers alike.
Physical Appearance
The corncrake is a medium-sized bird, measuring between 27 to 30 centimeters (11-12 inches) in length, with a wingspan ranging from 42 to 53 centimeters (17-21 inches). Its plumage provides excellent camouflage within its grassy habitats, featuring brownish-black upperparts, chestnut wing coverts, and a blue-grey face, neck, and breast. The belly is white, with chestnut and white barring on the flanks and undertail. It possesses a strong, flesh-colored bill, pale brown eyes, and long, pale grey legs and feet, adapted for navigating dense vegetation.
Where Corncrakes Live
Corncrakes primarily inhabit grasslands, preferring tall, dense vegetation like hay meadows and traditional farmland. They favor environments offering continuous cover and minimal disturbance, often utilizing fields with vegetation at least 20 centimeters (8 inches) high. While found in moister areas like wetland edges, they avoid very wet habitats or overly dense vegetation that restricts movement. This species breeds across a broad geographical range, extending from Europe eastward into Asia, as far as western China.
These birds are long-distance migrants, traveling over 10,000 miles to their wintering grounds. They spend the Northern Hemisphere’s winter primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, including southeastern regions like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania, where they utilize dry grassland and savanna habitats. Corncrakes arrive back at their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia between April and May. Their migratory routes involve two main flyways: a western route through Morocco and Algeria, and an eastern route through Egypt and down the Nile Valley.
Elusive Nature and Unique Call
The corncrake is renowned for its elusive nature, making it challenging to observe directly. This secretive behavior stems from its preference for dense vegetative cover, through which it moves silently, often running rather than flying when disturbed. The male corncrake’s call is a distinctive, repetitive sound, frequently described as a harsh “crex-crex” or “kerrx-kerrx,” onomatopoeic of its scientific name, Crex crex. This grating, rasping call can be heard from up to 1 kilometer away, serving to establish territory, attract mates, and deter rival males.
Calling activity is most pronounced during dusk and dawn, and can continue throughout the night, particularly in the early breeding season. A male corncrake may repeat its call over 20,000 times in a single night, with peak intensity occurring between midnight and 3 AM. The call’s volume and persistence are adaptations that help pinpoint the male’s location within the concealing vegetation. The loud and incessant call is a characteristic sound of summer meadows where corncrakes are present.
Conservation Efforts
The corncrake faces significant conservation challenges, primarily due to habitat loss and changes in agricultural practices. Historically widespread, its population has declined steeply across much of its former breeding range, particularly in Western Europe, leading to its classification as Red-listed in countries like the UK and Ireland. A major threat is the intensification of agriculture, including the shift from traditional hay meadows to silage production, which often involves earlier and more frequent mowing. This early cutting can destroy nests and kill flightless chicks, as females have two broods per year, with the first hatching in mid-June. Habitat fragmentation and reduced suitability of drained and fertilized fields also contribute to their decline.
Despite these regional declines, the corncrake is classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List globally, primarily due to large and stable populations in Eastern Europe, particularly Russia and Kazakhstan. Conservation efforts are actively underway in many countries where populations have suffered significant losses. Initiatives focus on habitat management, such as establishing “early and late cover” areas of tall vegetation to provide continuous shelter throughout the breeding season. Farmers are encouraged through grant schemes to delay mowing until later in the summer and to adopt “corncrake-friendly” mowing techniques, such as cutting from the center outwards, to allow birds to escape to the field edges. These targeted programs aim to protect existing populations and facilitate recovery in areas where the species has become rare.