Photo: Ziegentom (www.fotocommunity.de) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Cranes & Rails

Corn Crake

Crex crex

Corn Crake (Crex crex) — Cranes & Rails of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of England Birds of Cambridgeshire Birds of Cheshire Birds of Cumbria Birds of Cornwall Birds of Derbyshire Birds of Devon Birds of Dorset

By family

Rails, Crakes & Coots of Nova Scotia Rails, Crakes & Coots of England

See what's near you right now

The Corn Crake (Crex crex) is a member of the Rallidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 155 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae Rails, Crakes & Coots
Genus Crex
Species crex

Where it lives

Europe to central Siberia and northwestern China

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 155 g
Diet: Omnivores
Family: Rallidae
Order: Gruiformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Red-legged Crake

Rallina fasciata

Least Concern

Spot-flanked Gallinule

Porphyriops melanops

Least Concern

Slaty-legged Crake

Rallina eurizonoides

Least Concern

Uniform Crake

Amaurolimnas concolor

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Corn Crake is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Corn Crake is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Corn Crake (Crex crex) belongs to the Rallidae family of the order Gruiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL Europe to c Siberia and nw China.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 155 g, with a wing length of about 13.7 cm and a tail of around 5.1 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 12.5 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Corn Crake — Song

Recorded by bert de bruin Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Corn Crake?

The Corn Crake is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 155 g.

Where does the Corn Crake live?

The Corn Crake is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL Europe to c Siberia and nw China, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Corn Crake belong to?

The Corn Crake (Crex crex) belongs to the Rallidae family, in the order Gruiformes.

What does the Corn Crake eat?

The Corn Crake is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Corn Crake migrate?

The Corn Crake is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Corn Crake endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Corn Crake make?

1 real field recording of the Corn Crake — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Corn Crake's range?

The Corn Crake has a mapped global range of about 12.5 million km².