Corncrakes are rare migratory birds that breed in tall wet meadow vegetation. Their population is highly restricted in the UK to the Western Isles, where crofting management of late-cut hay meadows is critical for their survival.
Corncrake chicks killed by mowing machinery die through traumatic injury. Survivors of early cutting in adjacent fields face exposure, predation, and maternal separation. The characteristic rasping call of the corncrake makes distress from flushing by approaching machinery audible to observers. RSPB corncrake-friendly farming payments create genuine welfare improvement through aligning cutting timing with the species life cycle.