Species information

How to identify

The corncrake is a member of the rail family, related to coots and moorhens. Corncrakes have yelllowish-brown plumage with darker streaks on the back, and grey patches on the throat and above the eye. They are slightly larger than a blackbird. Corncrakes have a distinctive breeding call – a raspy rattle – which is given mostly at night, sometimes unrelenting for hours. Listen (Credit: Mathias Ritschard / xeno-canto )

Life cycle

Female corncrakes look after the eggs and chicks alone. Although they cannot fly until they’re around 35 days old, the female will often abandon her first brood at 12 days old, so she can start another nest. Corncrakes make an annual migration of over 10,000 miles to winter in central and southern Africa.

Corncrakes are now largely restricted to a small number of island and coastal strongholds in Scotland and Ireland. Breeding corncrakes are now mostly restricted to the western and northern islands of Scotland. They are summer visitors, wintering in central and southern Africa.

Corncrake UK distribution map (c) RSPB www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/corncrake

Habitat and feeding

Corncrakes breed and nest in tall plant cover such as meadows or silage fields. They are a secretive bird; it is more usual to hear the males calling than to see them.