The “crex crex” call of the corncrake, once a common sound in the British countryside, has nearly vanished due to habitat loss driven by modern farming practices. These changes pushed the bird to the brink of extinction.

However, there is renewed hope for the corncrake’s recovery in England, particularly in the fenlands of Norfolk, where reintroduction efforts are showing promising results.

This year, conservationists were thrilled to hear at least nine calling male corncrakes, a significant increase from just three in 2021.

The corncrake is globally threatened in parts of its range across Europe and Asia, and in the UK, it is classified as a “red-list” species, indicating it is of the highest conservation concern.

In Britain, apart from this small population in England, corncrakes are now only found in a few locations in the Scottish isles and on Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland.

Since 2021, around 100 corncrakes have been bred in captivity and released annually in an effort to re-establish a wild population on the floodplains of the River Ouse, an area already rich in birdlife.

The call of the corncrake is a “lovely noise to hear out in the washes,” says Emilie Fox-Teece of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Welney, Norfolk.

“The fact that we’re able to help boost and support the population in this way to try and establish a sustainable population is very important,” she says.

These birds face significant challenges, spending the summer feeding before migrating to Africa in the autumn. Only a few manage to return the following spring to breed.

Male corncrakes are located by their distinctive calls and counted each year, with numbers gradually increasing from three in 2021 to at least nine in 2024. This suggests a population of at least twice that size when considering the quieter females.

Chrissie Kelly, head of species management at the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, which is a partner in the reintroduction project, notes that this is currently the only known corncrake population in England.

“There is cautious optimism that we can build on those numbers,” she says. “It’s a sound we should be hearing in our countryside again.”

The hope is that the population will soon be self-sustaining without the need for continued releases of captive-bred birds.

Historically, the corncrake was widespread across Britain, arriving from Africa each spring. Its call, often heard at night, was once a familiar, if piercing, sound. However, the advent of modern farming methods, particularly early and mechanical meadow cutting, led to the species’ decline.

Today, the corncrake is nearly extinct in Northern Ireland, with only a few remaining strongholds in the Republic of Ireland and occasional sightings on Rathlin Island, County Antrim.

 

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