Give Me a Crash Course in . . . the return of the corncrake

Why are conservationists chirping on about the corncrake?

Because it is among Ireland’s most beloved birds but its numbers have been dwindling for some time now. This week, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) announced that efforts to restore their population have been working.

I don’t think I’ve seen or heard of them

Well it’s unlikely you’ve seen one but you might have heard one, even if you haven’t heard of them. The corncrake is known for its timidness and they are very difficult to actually spot in the wild. That said, when they mate, the male calls out continuously through the night and it is this call that makes the bird so familiar.

Okay, but if you can’t see them, you can’t count them right? So how does anyone know how many there are?

It’s a simple case of keeping your ears open. Each year, conservationists go out and listen for that famous call. This year they documented 218 male birds, which may not sound like a lot but it’s the first time in a decade that number has surpassed 200. Keep in mind that this ongoing effort aims to increase the population by 20 per cent on 2018 levels.

[ Corncrake numbers rising in Ireland ]

That still seems like a pretty rare species

Unfortunately yes, especially when you consider that just half a century ago the corncrake was found almost everywhere in Ireland, a typical farmland bird. Its numbers dwindled as farming practices changed in the 1970s, with a move from haymaking to silage, increased use of fertiliser and the reseeding of semi-natural grasslands. Eventually they were only found in the north and west coastal areas. In some other European countries they seem to have disappeared entirely. In Ireland it became an endangered species, a fixture of the Red List of Conservation Concern.

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What has changed?

Moves had already been taken in the past to try to help the corncrake, notably when farmers were incentivised to delay cutting silage so the birds could breed in the meadows. But the NPWS has taken a more proactive approach this time, with the help of the rural community, in actually creating habitats to allow them to flourish. In 2018 the NPWS applied for EU funding for a Life project, which has now reached the midway point of its five-year life. Between that and the NPWS conservation measures programme there are now over 250 farmers and landowners managing close to 1,500 hectares of lands for corncrakes across counties Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry.

That’s all very well, but didn’t you say the bird was once more widespread than that?

They were, yes, before becoming confined to Donegal and west Connacht. Five years ago the NPWS recorded 151 calling males, the majority in Donegal. Bird Watch Ireland has also said that a little over half the population is now on offshore islands such as Inishbofin, Tory and the Mullet peninsula. The NPWS hopes that next year will see even more birds return to the west.

Apart from a slight growth in numbers, is there any sign of them actually spreading out a bit?

There is. One of the more promising notes highlighted by the conservation workers this week was that a male bird was recorded on Inis Mór, the first time one has been found on the Aran islands in about a quarter of a century. That really shows that conservation efforts are about more than bolstering numbers. According to the NPWS, that bird came in late May and stayed throughout the summer, a sign he found a partner and successfully mated.