Corn Crake
Crex crex
The corn crake, corncrake or landrail 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.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_crake
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Gruiformes
Family
Rallidae
Genus
Crex
Corn Crake belongs to the family Rallidae, order Gruiformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
The corn crake, corncrake or landrail 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 derived. The...
The Corn Crake has experienced severe population declines primarily due to agricultural intensification and changes in farming practices across its European breeding range. Traditional hay meadows and extensive grassland management have been replaced by intensive agriculture with earlier and more frequent mowing, which destroys nests and kills adults during the breeding season. Habitat loss and fragmentation have reduced suitable breeding areas, while the species' secretive nature and specific habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to landscape-level changes.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
thumb The corn crake breeds from Ireland east through Europe to central Siberia. Although it has vanished from much of its historic range, this bird was once found in suitable habitats in Eurasia everywhere between latitudes 41°N and 62°N. the Seychelles, the Faroe Islands, the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. The corn crake is mainly a lowland species, but breeds up to altitude in the...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Corn Crake has experienced severe population declines primarily due to agricultural intensification and changes in farming practices across its European breeding range. Traditional hay meadows and extensive grassland management have been replaced by intensive agriculture with earlier and more frequent mowing, which destroys nests and kills adults during the breeding season. Habitat loss and fragmentation have reduced suitable breeding areas, while the species' secretive nature and specific habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to landscape-level changes.
Agricultural intensification and mechanized farming
Conversion of traditional hay meadows
Early and frequent mowing of grasslands
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Changes in grassland management practices
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Corn Crake (Crex crex). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/corn-crake