Listen: Would you recognise the call of a corncrake?

Conservation organisation Corncrake Life  is following up reports of corncrakes heard in Donegal, and they are urging people to listen out for the endangered bird.

The corncrake has a distinctive call which was once a familiar sound on summer evenings. But changing farming practices took a huge toll on habitats, and conservationists are battling to save the iconic bird.

The good news is that Corncrake Life is currently checking out multiple reports of corncrakes in Donegal and Mayo.

Anyone who believes they have heard a corncrake is asked to report it at https://www.corncrakelife.ie/report-a-corncrake/

The organisation has provided a sample of the corncrake’s call which can be heard here

A spokesperson on corncrakelife.ie said: “We are looking for your reports of sightings of corncrakes to help us determine the number of breeding pairs in Ireland and identify important breeding grounds.”

This checklist will help you determine if you have seen or heard a corncrake:

-Corncrakes are a bit bigger than a blackbird

-Corncrakes are dark yellow-brown, with dark barring on the back, reddish flanks and a grey belly

-Males have a loud distinctive, ‘crex crex’ call, which carries up to 1km away and is mostly heard at night

-Corncrakes are generally found in tall vegetation (20cm) in hay and silage fields, rough pastures, and stands of herbaceous species such as Yellow Flag Iris and nettles

-Corncrakes are summer visitors, breeding in Ireland from April to September

Anyone who thinks they have seen or heard a corncrake is asked to please phone or WhatsApp the Corncrake LIFE Hotline on 085 878 4648, email info@corncrakelife.ie or fill in the form online.

“It would be most helpful if you could add coordinates to the form by following these instructions,” the spokesperson said: 

“On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app or go to maps.google.com. Touch and hold an area of the map that isn’t labelled. You’ll see a red pin appear. You’ll see the coordinates in the search box at the top. Please copy and paste the coordinates.

Last month, a €5.9m EU-funded LIFE project overseen by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage was launched in Gort a Choirce. The project aims to revive the fortunes of the corncrake and ensure it remains a part of rural landscapes for years to come.

The project team are operating at coastal and island locations in Donegal, Mayo and Galway as well as associated farmland. 

Over a five-year period, Corncrake LIFE will work collaboratively with farmers and landowners to improve the landscape for the highly endangered bird. Measures will includes creating and maintaining areas of early and late cover, wildlife friendly mowing of grass, provision of refuge areas during meadow harvesting and incentivising later cutting dates. By the end of the five year project, the aim is to deliver a 20% increase on the 2018 population of Corncrake recorded in Ireland.