Corn crake
Crex crex
The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (Crex crex) is a bird in the rail family.
About the Corn crake
The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (Crex crex) is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff- or grey-streaked brownish-black upperparts, chestnut markings on the wings, and blue-grey underparts with rust-coloured and white bars on the flanks and undertail. The strong bill is flesh-toned, the iris is pale brown, and the legs and feet are pale grey. Juveniles are similar in plumage to adults, and downy chicks are black, as with all rails. There are no subspecies, although individuals from the east of the breeding range tend to be slightly paler than their western counterparts. The male's call is a loud krek krek, from which the scientific name is de
Fun Facts About Corn crake
- This secretive species builds a nest of grass leaves in a hollow in the ground and lays 6–14 cream-coloured eggs which are covered with rufous blotches.
- These hatch in 19–20 days, and the black precocial chicks fledge after about five weeks.
- The corn crake's breeding habitat is grassland, particularly hayfields, and it uses similar environments on the wintering grounds.
- Threats include dogs, cats, other introduced and feral mammals, large birds, various parasites and diseases.
- This crake is in steep decline across much of its former breeding range because modern farming practices often destroy nests before breeding is completed.
Conservation Status
The Corn crake is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is currently stable and not at significant risk of population decline.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | Gruiformes |
| Family | Rallidae |
| Genus | Crex |
| Species | Crex crex |
Range & Habitat
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