Corncrakes have retreated to Scottish islands and face ongoing welfare challenges from silage cutting timing and land use change threatening their breeding success.
Corncrakes caught in silage cutting machinery die by trauma or abandonment of chicks. The welfare harm to individuals is severe and sudden. Ground-nesting birds that survive initial passes of machinery may be disturbed from nests repeatedly, leading to nest abandonment and chick starvation. Management interventions that delay cutting and adopt bird-safe cutting patterns prevent these welfare harms while maintaining farm productivity.