The corncrake is one of Ireland's most endangered species. They arrive home to Ireland from West Africa each year to breed, returning south in Autumn. They are very cryptic and shy but the male bird's grating call is very loud and clear!
Once widespread, they are now limited to coastal locations in the west and north west. A conservation effort lead by the NPWS and Corncrake LIFE (www.corncrakelife.ie) has seen a 35% increase in the population in five years
Corncrakes are an umbrella species, meaning the measures farners take to protect them help a multitude of other types of wildlife.
Enjoy this unique sound, which our grandparents would have considered as common as a blackbird!
by DolansPuddings
14 comments
Sounds like me after a supermacs
Though there is no lonesome corncrake’s cry
of sorrow and delight
What part of the country is this
Thank you for this post. 👍
where is this?
I heard one for the first time ever last summer!
Inisturk?
Remember reading a story in a book in ptimary school abour a corncrake called Crex.
Weird the things you remember.
What a beautiful bird, they’re not that long-legged so I wondered why they were called “crex”
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/2023/08/26/poem-of-the-week-corncrake/
You couldn’t really hum it
Summer flooding wiped them out in the Shannon Callows years ago sadly but I’d love to see them return. You can report sightings here https://birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/species-habitat-conservation/countryside-wetlands/corncrake-conservation/
If you’re not in an area they normally nest in I’m sure they’d love to hear about this.
Magical to hear it.
Nothing worse than being out footing turf, hearing the Cuckoo and sure as god some ould lad will start shiteing on about the Corncrake.
I saw one many years ago on a school trip to the beach, the teacher had tears in his eyes when I pointed it out as he has never actually seen one.
I havent seen one since, great to hear there is hope to save them.