Wildlife

Wild Corncrake Supplementary Feeding

Supplementary seed feeding has been used in corncrake conservation to support population recovery by providing additional food resources during breeding and migration preparation.

Key Facts

Corncrakes eat invertebrates supplemented with seeds and grain
Supplementary feeding in combination with habitat management shows positive population effects
The RSPB has used seed feeding as part of corncrake recovery on the Western Isles
Feeding stations must be carefully designed to avoid attracting corvid predators
Corncrake population recovery has benefited from multiple combined interventions

Welfare Considerations

Supplementary feeding for corncrakes provides direct welfare benefits to individual birds during periods of nutritional stress, particularly when invertebrate availability is limited by weather conditions. The welfare benefit is amplified for breeding adults that have elevated energy demands. Feeding combined with habitat management that supports natural prey delivers better welfare outcomes than either intervention alone.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB corncrake conservation programmes on the Western Isles
Donate to Hebridean corncrake habitat management
Engage with agri-environment scheme policy about corncrake conservation requirements
Participate in corncrake monitoring programmes
Spread awareness about corncrake conservation needs