Conservation implications of flight initiation distance and refuge use in Corn Crakes Crex crex at a migration stopover site

Abstract

Cryptic animals commonly wait until an approaching predator is near them before fleeing, i.e. they have short flight initiation distances. We determined flight initiation distances in the Corn Crake Crex crex, a species of conservation concern, at a stopover site in Egypt where this species is hunted with cast nets. When approached by a person, Corn Crakes had short flight initiation distances (2.8±0.1 m), and these distances were not correlated with the distance at which the person started the approach, in contrast to previous findings in other species. After fleeing, crakes predictably chose to hide under the tallest plant in the area where they landed. The combination of a short flight initiation distance and a tendency to select predictable refuges is likely to make this species and others with similar traits particularly vulnerable to human hunting.