Wildlife

Wild Corncrake Recovery Ireland

Corncrakes returned to breed in Ireland and Scotland after intensive management programs, with welfare dependent on traditional late-cut meadow management.

Key Facts

Corncrakes declined from widespread to fewer than 1000 males in Ireland and Scotland by 2000
They require tall meadow vegetation for cover throughout the breeding season from May to August
Males produce a distinctive rasping call but remain hidden in vegetation, making surveys challenging
Late cutting agri-environment schemes in Ireland and Scotland have enabled population recovery
Corncrake-friendly cutting from the inside out allows birds to escape machinery during hay cutting

Welfare Considerations

Corncrakes killed by early-cut hay machinery die traumatically. Chicks separated from cover during cutting suffer exposure and predation. Timing-based management prevents most of this mortality.

What You Can Do

Support corncrake-friendly agri-environment schemes in Ireland and Scotland
Advocate for late-cut meadow management incentives as a core agri-environment measure
Donate to RSPB and BirdWatch Ireland corncrake monitoring and support programs