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Crex crex
– Near Threatened
Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
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ANIMALIA
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Phylum:
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CHORDATA
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Class:
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AVES
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Order:
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GRUIFORMES
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Family:
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RALLIDAE
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Scientific Name:
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Crex crex
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Species Authority:
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(Linnaeus, 1758)
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Common Name/s:
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| English | — | CORNCRAKE |
| French | — | RÂLE DES GENÊTS |
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Assessment Information
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Red List Category & Criteria:
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NT ver 3.1 (2001)
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Year Assessed:
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2006
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Assessor/s:
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BirdLife International
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Evaluator/s:
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Butchart, S. & Pilgrim, J. (BirdLife International Red List Authority)
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Justification:
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Recent surveys in eastern Europe and new population estimates for Asiatic Russia and have shown this species to be considerably more numerous than was thought in the early 1990s. New information suggests that future declines in European Russia are in the region of 10% over the next ten years because the introduction of intensive agricultural technologies in some areas will be compensated for by the reduction of agricultural production in other areas. In Asiatic Russia, where the bulk of the world population breeds, declines of c. 20% are predicted on the basis of land abandonment, with meadows becoming overgrown by bushy vegeation and trees. For this reason the species is listed as Near Threatened. Nearly qualifies as threatened under criteria A3c.
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History:
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| 1988 | - | Threatened (Collar and Andrew 1988) |
| 1994 | - | Vulnerable (Collar, Crosby and Stattersfield 1994) |
| 2000 | - | Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2000) |
| 2004 | - | Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2004) |
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Geographic Range
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Range Description:
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Crex crex breeds in Europe and central Asia, as far east as western China, and winters in sub-Saharan Africa. There are recently estimated to be 1.3-2 million breeding pairs in Europe (including 1-1.5 millions pairs in European Russia)6, higher than the 1.1-1.8 million pairs in Europe previously estimated2, which were in turn significantly higher than the 92,000-233,000 estimated in 1996, the difference resulting from the completion of the first systematic surveys of national populations in eastern Europe and Russia. A further 515,000-1,240,000 pairs are estimated for Asiatic Russia2, yielding a global total of 1.815-3.24 million pairs and 5.45-9.72 million individuals. Given the high level of uncertainty in some of the breeding estimates and the apparent scarcity of the species in its non-breeding areas in Subsaharan Africa, the total population may fall at the lower end of this range; even in the low millions. Whilst some of these populations may be increasing, population trends are unclear. Populations often undergo rapid declines and may do so in response to changes in agricultural practice in eastern Europe. Historically, most west European range states have seen major declines. Declines continue in seven countries, of which only Bulgaria and France have populations exceeding 1,000 singing males. However, predicted changes in agriculture in European Russia suggest that numbers will not decline by more than 10% over the next ten years, because the introduction of intensive agricultural technologies in some areas will be compensated for by the reduction of agricultural production in other areas4. Asiatic Russia (to the east of the Urals) is being affected by the process of land abandonment, with meadows becoming overgrown by bushy vegetation and trees, causing predicted declines of c.20%3. The species breeds in open or semi-open habitats, mainly meadows with tall grass, particularly those managed for hay. In the wintering grounds, grassland and savanna are preferred1. Following privatisation, potential changes to land-use and management of agricultural land in Russia and eastern Europe are the principal threats2. Land abandonment temporarily favours the species, but areas become unsuitable as scrub develops. Intensified management of hay meadows, or their conversion to arable, would also result in widespread habitat loss2. Across western and central Europe, intensification of grassland management, leading to earlier and rapid mowing of hay and silage, is the main threat. Conservation measures have been taken in 14 European range states. National action plans have been prepared in Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, UK, and Slovakia. Appropriate habitat management techniques have been researched, and a national Corncrake survey is to be undertaken in Russia in 2005-065. A European action plan was published in 1996 and a Corncrake Conservation Team was established in 1998. CMS Appendix II.
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Range Map:
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 (click for detailed map)
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Countries:
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Native:
Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Estonia; Ethiopia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lebanon; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malawi; Mauritania; Moldova, Republic of; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Netherlands; Norway; Oman; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Vagrant:
Afghanistan; Angola; Botswana; Cameroon; Chad; Côte d'Ivoire; Eritrea; Gabon; Ghana; Greenland; Iceland; Lesotho; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Mali; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Seychelles; Somalia; Syrian Arab Republic; Uganda; Viet Nam
Regionally extinct:
Faroe Islands
Uncertain presence and origin:
Guinea
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Population
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Population Trend:
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Habitat and Ecology
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