• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

(142) SUMMARY OF A REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF THE CORN-CRAKE (Crex crex)* BY C. A. NORMS. INTRODUCTION. IN the summers from 1933 to 1937 Corn-Crakes were present near Stratford-on-Avon, where they had not been heard since about 1930. In 1935 and 1936 they also re-established themselves in certain areas in Worcestershire. This suggested the possibility that the long decrease which was known to have occurred in many parts of England might have come to an end and it was decided early in 1938 to carry out a national inquiry under the auspices of the British Trust for Ornithology as to the past and present distribu­ tion and status of the species, and the probable causes of the decreases and fluctuations in numbers. Appeals for information were published in a large number of papers and a short talk was given in the wireless News Bulletin on July 14th, 1938. Questionnaires were also circulated with a number of ornithological journals. In 1939 a special effort was made to fill gaps in the information received in the previous year, to obtain additional information from certain critical areas and to get particulars from the Continent. In 1938, 1,180 questionnaires were filled up and returned and in addition over 800 letters and postcards were received. In 1939 a further 650 questionnaires and nearly 400 letters were received. This does not include the reports from abroad, but owing to the outbreak of war these were unfortun­ ately few, though, as will be seen, they provide valuable information as to the position in several continental countries. The present report deals only with the past and present status and distribution of the Corn-Crake in the British Isles and its present status in parts, of western Europe. It was urged, especially by the late H. F. Witherby, that this information should be summar­ ized and published before it became too much out-of-date. The organizer of the inquiry, having joined the army, had comparatively little time in which to compile a report, but with the help of his wife and W. B. Alexander a fairly complete survey of the literature of the subject was made and a report was completed before he left England. With his permission it has been revised and con­ densed for publication by W. B. Alexander. It is hoped that after the war a further report on aspects of the life-history of the Corn- Crake and a discussion of the causes of its decrease in numbers will be prepared by Major Norris. The accompanying map which was prepared by him for The Handbook gives a general view of the present status of the Corn- Crake in the British Isles. It divides the country into three areas, though it will be understood that the differences between the status *Publication of the British Trust for Ornithology. VOL. XXXVIII] REPORT ON CORN-CRAKE. 143 of the Corn-Crake m these areas are not in reality separated by hard and fast lines. In most of the northern and western Scottish islands and north-west Ireland the Corn-Crake is still numerous and there appears to have been little or no change of status beyond Map to show Distribution of the Corn-Crake in the British Islands. (Compiled and Drawn by C. A. Norris). local fluctuations. In the greater part of Ireland, Scotland, northern and north-west England and most of Wales the Corn-Crake still occurs locally but has greatly decreased. From eastern, central and southern England and south-east Wales the Corn-Crake has 144 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXXVIII. practically disappeared as a regular breeding species, though in most counties pairs or small colonies occasionally establish them­ selves and breed for a year or two. HISTORICAL. The earliest mention of the Corn-Crake in the British Isles is that of Turner (1544), who called it the Daker Hen and wrote : " I have not seen or heard it anywhere in England, save in Northum­ berland alone." In 1602 Carew said it was found in Cornwall and in 1603 Owen recorded that it bred in Pembrokeshire. In 1667 Merrett wrote that though Turner only knew of it in Northumber­ land " I remember to have seen and heard it at Wheatley five miles from Oxford "; whilst in 1677 Charleton wrote that it " has scarcely ever been observed by more recent observers " than Turner." In 1678 Ray wrote that it was " very common in Ireland but more rare with us " in England and in his Synopsis published in 1713 after his death he added : " Tancred Robinson tells us he has often found Land Rails in northern Yorkshire." In 1698 Martin stated that it bred at St. Kilda and in 1700 Leigh in his Natural History of Lancashire, Cheshire and the Peak said it was " common in these parts." The foregoing statements suggest that in the 16th and 17th centuries the Corn-Crake was very uncommon in the greater part of England south of Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire, but was much commoner in the north (and perhaps also in Wales), and very plentiful in Ireland. During the 18th century we have records that it was " pretty often met with " in fields in Northamptonshire (Morton, 1712), " very common in summer " in Co. Cork (Smith, 1750), " frequent in vale-meadows " in Northumberland (Wallis, 1769), abundant throughout Caithness (Pennant, 1771) and frequent in summer in Co. Dublin, though rare in England (Rutty, 1772).. In 1776 Pennant wrote that " they are in greatest plenty in Anglesea, where they appear about the 20th of April, supposed to pass over from Ireland, where they abound. They are found in most of the Hebrides and the Orkneys." In 1785 he added that they were found in summer in the Shetlands. Latham in the same year quoted Pennant's statements and added : " Few places in England are destitute of them in summer; but no where what may be called common." His contemporary Gilbert White states that at Selborne they were only occasionally met with in autumn, but adds: " Land-rails used to abound formerly, I remember, in the low wet bean fields of Christian Malford in North Wilts, and in the meadows near Paradise Gardens at Oxford." In 1794 Heysham recorded that they nested in Cumberland and Lambert that they bred in Wilts " and I believe everywhere in England." It is clear therefore that in the 18th century, their breeding range in England extended south to North­ amptonshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, though they were obviously local, and much less common than in Ireland, Scotland and Anglesey. In Sussex Markwick only knew of them as autumn visitors, giving the VOL. XXXVIII] REPORT ON CORN-CRAKE. 145 average of 26 years' observation as: First seen Sept. 1; Last seen Oct. 20. Writers in the first half of the 19th century did not provide much additional information as to the status of the Corn-Crake. In 1806 Neill stated that it was " exceedingly abundant in Orkney, and also pretty common in Shetland." About 1814 Lamb wrote that in Berkshire it was " common in the summer and autumn," whilst in 1816 Polwhele said that in Cornwall it was " never abundant." In 1824 Latham wrote " nor is this bird at all plentiful in England, though in some parts much more so than in others." In 1826 Sheppard and Whitear wrote that it " occasionally breeds in Norfolk and Suffolk ; is most common in autumn, but is by no means abundant." In 1831 Rennie said; "I have never heard it in the vicinity of London, nor in Wiltshire, though it is said to be plentiful in the west of England "; but in 1834 Jesse said they were " far from being scarce " in the neighbourhood of Hampton Court. Remarks such as this may mean only that they were frequently shot by sportsmen in autumn, not that they nested in the vicinity. Hays in 1831 said they were " rather scarce in the neighbourhood " of Shepscombe, Glos. Selby wrote in 1833: " They are very plentiful throughout Wales, the north of England, and Scotland. In the Highlands of Scotland and the Hebrides, they also abound, and their migration extends to the Orkney and Shetland Isles." He also stated that " upon the banks of the Trent below Newark, the meadows are annually visited by great numbers ; and I have, in the course of an hour, killed 8 or 10 in a single field." This statement presumably refers to the autumn. In 1835 Jenyns wrote that the Corn-Crake " is pretty generally distributed throughout the kingdom, though said to be most plentiful in the northern parts of it, and in Ireland." Statements as to the status of the species during the last 100 years are quoted in the subsequent accounts of the former status in the various provinces. PRESENT DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. No attempt was made in the present inquiry to estimate the actual Corn-Crake population. Reports were grouped under 5 categories:—A. None ; B. Isolated reports (i.e. ones and twos) ; C. A few (i.e. threes to sixes) ; D. Generally distributed; and E. Numerous. In the present summary reports under B and C have been treated together as " Few " whilst those under D and E have been treated together as " Numerous." Practically all reports refer to the number of birds heard and it has been assumed, in the light of available evidence, that it is the male bird that produces the once familiar call. The number of birds heard calling regularly has been assumed to indicate the- number of breeding pairs. The fact that birds have not been heard in a district does not necessarily indicate that they are 146 BRITISH BIRDS.

Load more

  7

Copy Link