Crex Research Articles

Орнітофауна лучних екосистем у прикордонних районах Львівщини та Волині

Meadow ecosystems comprise a significant part of the area of Ukraine, especially in its western regions. Those ecosystems are subjects of concern today because of the active agricultural use and droughts that also threatens the animal population of meadows, including birds. Studies of meadow bird species of western Ukraine are limited to atlases, which results in a lack of precise data. This work was part of an international project on the conservation of the great snipe Gallinago media and allowed us to collect valuable data on the abundance and occurrence of meadow bird species nearby to the Polish and Belarusian borders of Ukraine — territories that are commonly ignored by Ukrainian researchers. The surveys of meadow birds conducted near the Ukrainian-Polish border in 2020 have shown that the general state of the marshes is worse compared to 2019: even close to the Western Bug river, only deep oxbow lakes were wet or contained some water, but minor lakes and wetlands of the valley were found to be dry. In total, we observed 141 bird species belonging to 17 orders. Among them, 26 were common by abundance and frequency, such as the great egret Ardea alba, the white stork Ciconia ciconia, the common quail Coturnix coturnix, the corn crake Crex crex, the northern lapwing Vanellus vanellus, the common redshank Tringa totanus, the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, the Eurasian skylark Alauda arvensis, the meadow pipit Anthus pratensis, the western yellow wagtail Motacilla flava, the sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, the marsh warbler A. palustris, the great reed warbler A. arundinaceus, the common whitethroat Sylvia communis, the whinchat Saxicola rubetra, the thrush nightingale Luscinia luscinia, the common linnet Linaria cannabina, the corn bunting Emberiza calandra, the common reed bunting E. schoeniclus, and 7 more species, which were observed frequently though are not typical marshland species. We have identified the species that can be used as indicators of parameters of marsh ecosystems such as grass height (corn crake, western yellow wagtail, and sedge warbler), moisture (common redshank, common cuckoo, and the sedge and great reed warblers), and habitat type (corn crake, European bee-eater Merops apiaster, sedge warbler, common reed, and corn buntings).

Use of microsatellite‐based paternity assignment to establish where Corn Crake Crex crex chicks are at risk from mechanized mowing

We used microsatellite DNA to assign probable parentage of young Corn Crakes to adult males and females and used these assignments to estimate the distribution of distances between broods of chicks and juveniles and the night‐time singing place of the father at the time of initiation of the clutch. Estimated distances for broods of young chicks were in accord with those estimated previously by radiotracking, but distances were greater for older unfledged independent chicks not studied previously. Our results indicate that modifications of the timing and method of mowing to reduce losses of nests and chicks should be implemented inside an area within about 500 m of the singing places of male Corn Crakes, rather than the 250 m previously considered to be safe.

The Response of Water Rails (Rallus aquaticus) To the Playback of Conspecific and Heterospecific Calls

ABSTRACT We studied the response of Water Rails (Rallus aquaticus) to conspecific and heterospecific playback to reveal any variation in reaction to playbacks of rail and crake and if and how these reactions change in intensity. Ten observation points, 100 m from each other within a reedbed, were selected. We made our observations three times a day over three days in three sessions (Apr, Jun, and Sept). We quantified the response of Water Rails to the playback of conspecifics and the heterospecifics: Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), Corn Crake (Crex crex), Little Crake (Porzana parva), Spotted Crake (P. porzana), and Baillon's Crake (P. pusilla), in terms of phenological periods. We found that there is a difference in aggressive reaction between conspecific and heterospecific playbacks across all sessions and also within each session. The aggressive reaction decreases significantly in the direction (Water Rail = Common Moorhen) > (Corn Crake = Little Crake = Spotted Crake) > (Baillon's Crake), during...

Hur påverkas fågelfaunan av upphörd betesdrift – data från en 26 år lång inventeringsstudie

The breeding bird fauna of a 1.6 km2 large grassland area in southwestern Sweden was monitored in 1987–2012, using the point count method. The area was grazed by approximately 500 cattle until 2006, and the grass height was then at most 10–15 cm except for higher tussocks. From 2007 onwards, when the grazing had ceased, the grass increased in height to 20–30 cm and became much thicker. The average number of bird species per year was 44.7 over the 26 year survey period. Numbers of some farmland birds such as Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Skylark Alauda arvensis, Starling Sturnus vulgaris, and Linnet Carduelis cannabina decreased in the study area, following the general pattern in the whole of Sweden. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, Corn Crake Crex crex, Whinchat Saxicola rubetra and Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia increased in the area, but decreased in Sweden in general over the same period. The local changes in bird numbers in the study area seem mainly to be caused by an increased grass height and thickness as a consequence of ceased cattle grazing.

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

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.

The impacts of wind farms on animal species

Wind farms are constructed in various areas without considering the protected animal species that are present there. In problem areas, there are some mitigation measures taken. In 55% of the studies, bird mortality rates ranges from 0.0 to 2.0 fatalities/turbine/year. 79.4% of the evaluated mortality rates for raptors range from 0.0 to 0.1 fatalities/ turbine/year. The highest number of wind turbine fatalities has been recorded with a raptor Buteo jamaicensis, followed by seagull Larus argentatus, passerine Eremophila alpestris and domestic pigeon Columbia livia. The only species that has been recorded as a wind turbine fatality and is a part of the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species is red kite (Milvus milvus). The European wind power studies pay more attention to the disturbance of particular species. The species that are most commonly considered threatened are the raptors (common buzzard, common kestrel and red kite), grassland birds (common quail, corn crake, lapwing, ringed plover), migrating birds (migrant goose, crane, lapwing, golden plover) and waterbirds (geese species). Bat annual mortality rates range from 0.0 to 47.5 fatalities/turbine/year at different wind farms. The highest mortality rate has been reported for bat species Laisurus cinereus, Lasiurus borealis, Lasionycteris noctivagans and Nyctalus noctula.

Changes in the waterbird community of the Lake Sevan–Lake Gilli area, Republic of Armenia: a case for restoration

Waterbird species richness (Gaviiformes, Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Phoenicopteriformes, Falconiformes, Anseriformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, Passeriformes) has been significantly affected by a 19.5 m lowering of the water level in Lake Sevan (1933–2000), and the complete draining of nearby Lake Gilli (1960–2000) in the Republic of Armenia. Twenty-three former breeders are currently nonbreeders in the area. Four former breeders (black stork Ciconia nigra, glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus, white-winged scoter Melanitta fusca, little crake Porzana parva) have been extirpated from the area. Four former nonbreeders (cattle egret Bubulcus ibis, red-breasted goose Branta ruficollis, sociable lapwing Chettusia gregaria, lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus) have been absent from the area for at least 20 years. The red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator is the only former nonbreeder discovered breeding in the Lake Sevan basin. We recommend that management plans of the 1960s and 1970s be used to further develop and enact new efforts to increase the water level of Lake Sevan by at least 6 m, and that Lake Gilli and its surrounding wetlands be restored as a means of increasing waterbird species richness overall, and protecting regional populations of globally threatened or near-threatened species (Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus, red-breasted goose Branta ruficollis, ferruginous pochard Aythya nyroca, white-headed duck Oxyura leucocephala, corn crake Crex crex, great snipe Gallinago media, black-winged pratincole Glareola nordmanni, white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla).

Corncrake Pie and Prediction in Ecology

Corncrake Pie and Prediction in Ecology

How to help the corncrake

How to help the corncrake

The recent decline of the CorncrakeCrex crexon the Isle of Canna

Most Corn crake territories were located in hayfields; these and marshes were the preferred nesting habitat. Since 1982 there has been a major reduction in Corncrake numbers on Canna. Although there have been minor habitat changes, the limited data on brood size and number suggest that much of the habitat on the island is still suitable for Corncrakes. Information from retrapping calling adults showed a very low return rate, as has been found in Sweden. The recent decline may be due to higher mortality on migration, as conditions in the breeding area on Canna and the wintering areas do not appear to have changed significantly.

A Second Australian Record of the Corn Crake (Crex)

"A Second Australian Record of the Corn Crake (Crex)." Emu - Austral Ornithology, 48(3), pp. 243–244

Collinge on the Corn-Crake

Collinge on the Corn-Crake

"Corn-crake."

"Corn-crake."

On a specimen of Crex crex, shot at Randwick, New South Wales

On a specimen of Crex crex, shot at Randwick, New South Wales