Corn Crake
Crex crex
Aves › Gruiformes › Rallidae › Crex
Conservation status: least_concern
The Corn Crake is a secretive ground-dwelling bird with a distinctive rasping call that sounds like two stones being scraped together, which is often heard before the bird is ever seen. It has a russet-colored body with bold black barring on its flanks and wings, and unusually long legs that help it navigate through tall grass and grain fields where it hunts for insects and small animals.
How To Identify
It is a medium-sized bird with cryptic mottled plumage, featuring shades of brown, streaking, and buff that help it blend into dry vegetation.
Habitat
The Corn Crake lives in long grass meadows and hayfields.
Behaviour
The Corn Crake is crepuscular and nocturnal, persistently calling while hiding in vegetation.
Native Range
The corn crake is native to Europe and Asia, as far east as western China.
Did You Know?
Its rasping double call carries over 1 km at night, yet the bird almost never shows itself.
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