National survey of corncrakes to take place across the UK
A rare migratory bird that has experienced a dramatic recovery in its fortunes thanks to dedicated conservation work is to be the subject of a national UK survey to see if it is now spreading from its core areas in the west of Scotland.Corncrakes will begin to return to the UK at the end of April, and and the public will be able to call in on special hotline numbers to submit their records of the species to the National Corncrake Survey.Once common and widely distributed throughout the whole of rural Britain, the species underwent extremely steep declines in the 20th century due to changes in traditional farming practices and agricultural intensification.
Corncrakes are a long-distance migratory species that winter in sub-Saharan Africa and come to the UK in summer to breed. Here they favour a habitat of tall grasses and herbs, particularly hay and silage meadows. However, in the late 19th century when mechanised mowing and other machine-driven innovations allowed hay making to be completed much quicker than previously, the corncrake population plummeted and became restricted to the Hebridean islands on the west coast of Scotland. Good concentrations exist on Lewis, North and South Uist, Tiree and Coll.
More recently, through the combined efforts of farmers, crofters and conservationists, the corncrake population in the UK has seen an encouraging increase in its numbers, and since the RSPB's corncrake recovery programme started in 1993, the population has increased markedly.
In 1993, the British population was estimated at just 480 calling males. But by the last national survey in 2003 this figure had almost doubled to 832 calling males. Since then annual counts have shown that the population increase continued throughout the 2000s, and in 2007 the population in the species' Scottish strongholds hit a high of more than 1270 calling males. This number declined, however, in 2008 by 8% to 1140 in the Scottish core areas, highlighting that there should be no complacency surrounding the conservation of the Corncrake, and that it is by no means out of the woods yet.
The survey seeks to find out whether the recovery of Corncrake in Britain continues into 2009, and to establish whether the slight decline of 2008 was a temporary 'blip', or if it was part of a more sustained pattern. It also presents a good opportunity to examine whether the species has managed to extend its range beyond the main core areas of the inner and outer Hebridean islands, into other regions of the UK in the last few years.
Mark O'Brien, Advisory Manager at RSPB Scotland, said: "This is the first full survey since 2003 and numbers have undoubtedly increased since then, but we are really interested in seeing if last years slight slump in numbers was just an anomaly in what has been an otherwise fabulous success story for this species.
"The recovery of this plucky wee bird has, in a large part, been down to previous agri environment schemes. We hope that this survey will enable us to continue to deliver targeted corncrake conservation through the new Scottish Rural Development Plan."
However, Corncrakes are a very difficult species to survey, because they are shy, skulk in long vegetation and are very difficult to see. The best method to identify Corncrakes is by their very distinctive crek crek call given by singing males, which sounds like a credit card being drawn across a plastic comb. The birds are particularly vocal throughout the month of June, especially during the night. Because of the difficulty of surveying Corncrakes, the RSPB is asking anyone who hears the distinctive call of the birds to report it so that it can be verified and recorded as part of the survey.
The Corncrake Survey is a combined initiative between Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the RSPB.
Anyone who hears a corncrake calling is urged to call:
RSPB (England and Wales) - 01767 680 551
RSPB (Scotland) - 0131 311 6500
RSPB (Northern Ireland) - 028 9049 1547
For more information/interviews/images, please contact RSPB Scotland’s Head of Media James Reynolds on 0131 311 6500/07725065186.
Notes:
1) According to the Historical Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1875 – 1900, “the decline of the corncrake in Britain and Ireland has been more dramatic than that of any other bird species since the late 19th century. During the last quarter of that century, the corncrake bred in every county of Britain and Ireland including all but the most exposed islands.
2) Corncrakes were found in tall grass and herbs, particularly in hay meadows. Towards the end of the 19th century some writers started to note that numbers were decreasing. Although it was recognised that numbers varied from year to year these writers linked a slight decline to the increase in the mechanisation of mowing.
3) These negative influences continued throughout the 20th century, in particular the introduction of tractors to replace horses, and other mechanical innovations, allowed hay making to be completed in a much shorter time, so that the proportion of hay meadows mowed during the most vulnerable part of the corncrakes breeding season increased.
4) By 1972 the corncrake had disappeared from most of the mainland of Britain, and population declines continued except in the Scottish islands of Lewis, Coll, the Uists and Tiree, where the persistence of suitable hay meadow habitats and late mowing dates allow successful breeding. A small number are also clinging on in Orkney.
5) There is a strong correlation between cattle keeping and mixed agricultural systems, combining grazing management with hay making and forage areas for arable cropping. In addition to the corncrake, these mixed farmland habitats support a diverse range of bird species, including the declining corn bunting and wading birds such as lapwing.
6) Concerted action to help corncrakes began in 1993 with the introduction of the RSPB Scotland managed Corncrake Initiative (which was supported by SNH and the Scottish Crofting Foundation). Although this has now been superseded by agri environment schemes, the first population increases followed in the mid 1990s. The historical scheme made payments available to crofters and farmers with the birds on their land to manage their hay or silage fields sensitively for corncrakes. This worked in tandem with dedicated management on RSPB reserves. RSPB Scotland has 15 reserves and management agreement areas where corncrakes are a priority species, and these support a large proportion of the total UK population. The Society also works in partnership with many other land managers to benefit the species. In most cases the local crofters and farmers, often underpinned by a management agreement, carry out all the positive management for corncrakes.
7) SNH runs a corncrake management scheme, which is available to crofters and farmers within areas classified as Special Protection Areas for the species in the western and northern islands of Scotland. These sites cover about 40 per cent of the British breeding population of corncrakes. SNH can make incentive payments available under their Natural Care management programme to pay for work to benefit corncrakes.
8) Rural Development Contracts operated by SGRPID provide land management incentives for corncrakes.
9) Corncrakes arrive in Britain from late April and early May after wintering in Africa. They begin nesting in late May and lay between eight and 12 eggs. The key to increasing the population is to create conditions that allow the females to safely rear two broods in a season. During the breeding season the corncrake is rarely seen. It most commonly reveals itself by its distinctive crek crek call, which sounds like a plastic comb being drawn across a credit card edge.