The corncrake was once widespread across UK meadows but declined catastrophically through the 20th century; its recovery is a conservation success story with direct welfare implications.
Corncrake welfare is primarily affected by agricultural management during the breeding season. Early silage cuts kill chicks directly - a preventable welfare harm linked to economic pressure on farmers. Agri-environment scheme payments that compensate farmers for late cutting have been effective in enabling birds to fledge successfully. Individual bird welfare during migration is also a concern, with corncrakes subject to trapping in some Mediterranean and North African countries.