Corncrake
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Hebridean hay meadows.
Diet: Invertebrates.
Best time to spot: Heard, rarely seen.
When to look
A summer visitor, typically in the UK from April to September. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.
How rare is it?
The Corncrake sits in our Rare tier for the UK: scarce or very local, so most birders need a planned trip. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Pectoral SandpiperRare · Wet meadows (autumn passage)
- BobolinkEpic · Meadows (vagrant)
- Common SnipeCommon · Marshes
- Lesser White-fronted GooseEpic · Wet meadows (very rare)
- Northern LapwingCommon · Wet meadows
- RuffUncommon · Wet meadows
Kit that helps
Bird ID starter kit. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.
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