8.A  Text: Corncrake numbers continue worrying downward trend

Corncrake numbers form a mixed picture in the Western Isles against the backdrop of falling numbers for this threatened species across Scotland. Once abundant across the country, the elusive bird is now only found in the crofting lands of the Hebrides and Orkney.

Only 850 calling males were recorded by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Scotland in these areas this year – a huge drop of 1,289 males in 2014. The overall downward trend worries conservationists and highlights how vulnerable these birds are.

Corncrakes are usually surveyed annually but Covid travel restrictions in 2020 meant that it was not possible to complete the count across all areas. Overall, the Western Isles corncrake population has increased by 10% but in the Inner Hebrides the population has plummeted by 12.2 percent from 2019.

RSPB Scotland is calling for payments for nature and climate friendly farming and crofting to be at the heart of the Scottish Government agricultural policies. RSPB Scotland will target management for corncrakes in the right places, working with farmers and crofters through the Corncrake Calling project.

Corncrakes are the land-dwelling relatives of coots and moorhens and one of Scotland’s rarest breeding birds. Due to their shy character they are surveyed by counting the number of males making the distinctive “crex crex” call during breeding season.