Wildlife

Corncrake Welfare: Hay Meadow Management in Ireland and the UK

The corncrake has declined catastrophically across Britain and Ireland due to changes in hay cutting practices and now survives mainly in the Western Isles and parts of western Ireland.

Key Facts

UK corncrake numbers fell from hundreds of thousands in the 19th century to around 1,200 calling males today
They breed in tall grass and hay meadows and are extremely vulnerable to mowing machinery
The Western Isles of Scotland and Connacht in Ireland hold the main UK and Irish populations
Agri-environment schemes paying farmers to adopt corncrake-friendly mowing practices have helped stabilise numbers

Welfare Considerations

Mechanised hay cutting kills corncrakes, their eggs and chicks when mowing proceeds from the field edge inward, trapping birds in diminishing central areas. Cutting from the centre outward allows escape. Early cutting timing before nesting completion eliminates clutches. Welfare and population recovery depends on farmer participation in late-cutting and corncrake-friendly mowing schemes.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes funding corncrake-friendly management on Irish and Scottish farms
Never enter corncrake habitat with dogs during the breeding season
Record corncrake calls and submit to national monitoring surveys
Donate to RSPB, BirdWatch Ireland and equivalent organisations working on corncrake conservation