Corncrakes are found in Ireland, all across Europe, and into Siberia. Historically, their habitat would have been river meadows, with tall grasses, but now they are mainly found in grasslands used
for the production of hay. Corncrakes are migratory birds, wintering in West Africa, and breeding in Ireland from April to September. While in Africa, the birds prefer dry grassland and savannahs.

Corncrakes are a small bird, only slightly larger than a blackbird, and, as a member of the Rallidae family, they are related to birds such as moorhens, coots, and water rails. They mainly feed on invertebrates, like insects, spiders, slugs, and snails, but will also feed on seeds, particularly in the autumn.

Corncrakes breed from mid-May to early August, building a nest on the ground in tall vegetation. The females typically lay between 6 and 10 eggs. The eggs are incubated for 17 days, and the chicks will fledge the nest after around 30 days. Females may go on to have a second and, possibly, third brood.

Ireland’s corncrake population has declined by more than 96% since the 1970s. This is largely due to the advent of intensive farming practices, including the mechanisation of mowing, which destroys nests and drives the birds from their habitats. In 2019, surveys carried out by the National Parks & Wildlife Service estimated 150 remaining pairs in Ireland (in Donegal, Mayo and Connemara).

To support its revival, the Corncrake Life Project was launched in 2021, led by the NPWS and funded by the EU Life programme. The project has recorded a 35% increase in birds since it began.

The male birds have a loud, distinctive, ‘crex crex’ call, which can be heard up to 1km away. A shy and secretive species, corncrakes can be tricky to spot and are best located by their loud call, which
is most often heard at night.

In 2022, a farmer in Donegal discovered a nest of 11 eggs while cutting silage. As the nest had been abandoned, the eggs were successfully rescued and transported to Fota Wildlife Park, as part of the Corncrake LIFE Project. They were placed in an incubation unit in the park, where 9 of the chicks were successfully hatched and reared. They chicks were then returned to Donegal, and re-released close to their original nest site.

Fota Wildlife Park and the NPWS are working in partnership to support research, rescue and rehabilitation of corncrakes. Research is ongoing to explore the feasibility of headstarting corncrakes at the park.