Corncrake

Corncrake, corn crake — © Zveriki.com, AI-generated image based on the original work of Ziegentom (www.fotocommunity.de), Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Mass
133–143 g
Length
220–300 mm
Lifespan
1096–2192 days 3–6 years
26017
0
1
corncrake-corn-crake
en
corncrake, corn crake
Crex crex
The corn crake is a small migratory bird of the rail family. It lives in tall grass on meadows and fields, where it hides from predators and emits a loud rattling cry.
The corncrake differs from other crakes by its secretive behavior and very loud creaking call that can be heard from afar. It is important for nature because it eats harmful insects and indicates the health of meadow ecosystems.
foraging from the ground
trophic:omnivore
#fcfcfc
Mass (adult bird, male)
120–180 g
Mass (adult bird, female)
130–200 g
Mass (chick)
8–90 g
Length (adult bird)
220–300 mm
Length (chick)
50–180 mm
Wingspan
500 mm
Lifespan maximum
3287 days 9 years
Theoretical lifespan
3929–5613 days 11–15 years
Gestation
13.17 days 1 week 6 days
Litter size
6–12
Maturity
330–400 days 11 months – 1 year 1 month
Offspring
6–12
Repro interval
365 days 1 year
Wings count (adult bird)
2
Legs count (adult bird)
2
Beak count (adult bird)
1
Legs size (adult bird)
45–55 mm
Wings size (adult bird)
420–530 mm
Beak size (adult bird)
18–22 mm
Comparable in mass
Zucchini
Biome
Tundra
Realm
Freshwater
Realm
world of Afrotropics
Biome
Taiga
Biome
Flooded grasslands
Biome
Temperate coniferous forest
Biome
Temperate mixed forest
Realm
Palearctic realm
Landscape
freshwater
Climate
Warm summer and lots of rain
Climate
Cool summer and lots of rain
Landscape
lakes and ponds
Habitat (whole life)
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Landscape
terrestrial
Landscape
terrestrial forest
Climate
Always very wet
Climate
Pleasant summer
Climate
Lots of rain and cool summer
Climate
Winter with snow
Climate
Warm summer
Climate
Lots of rain and warm summer
Food environment
terrestrial
Shelter
nest
Trophic type
omnivore
1095.75
2191.5
3929.01886712049
5612.884095886415
220.0
300.0
132.75809824039598
143.48572610502376
Worker
Were {name} like {animal}, then:
birth time
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
lots of rain, warm summer, snow in winter
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
Legs count
very cold, short summer, almost no trees, lots of moss
days
Warm summer
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
adult bird
Maturity
invertebrates
insects
About health
cool, lots of coniferous trees, snow in winter
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Repro interval
results
earthworms
summer warm, winter not very cold
small snails, mussels and other mollusks
Colors
Sex
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
Trophic type
all living animals without backbone
Filters
Palearctic realm
Upcoming birthdays
standing fresh waters — lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes
Breeding structure built or used for laying eggs and raising offspring.
Winter with snow
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
rains almost always, very humid
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
Age (embryo)
most of Europe and Asia, various forests, steppes and tundra
Wanderers
Wings size
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
More:
Tundra
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
Lifespan average
leaves
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
Wings color
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
swampy freshwater biotopes — peat bogs, marshes, river mangroves
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Pets
Lots of rain and cool summer
Feeding occurs primarily on land or in vegetation.
Legs size
{name} jubilee
cm
Temperate coniferous forest
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
Wingspan
turns
Rascals
terrestrial forest
Flooded grasslands
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
seeds
Litter size
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Share
small mollusks
Actively searching habitats to locate food items.
Where are they found?
all rivers and lakes
Down color
lots of rain, cool summer, snow in winter
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Elders
Bro
lakes and ponds
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Taxons
if born as {name}
omnivore
Wings count
age
birth date
Palearctic realm
Close
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
primary food sources
Beak size
Potential Habitat
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
lots of rain, summer not hot
Mass
young shoots and leaves of plants
cold winter, lots of coniferous trees: spruce, pine
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
terrestrial
Gestation
from 130 grams to 0.5 kilograms, 0.35 – 0.8 meters
{name} birthday
Link copied
No results found
On the map
Pleasant summer
Female ♀
all life stages
world of Afrotropics
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0 Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Beak count
birth year
Maturity
terrestrial habitat, land surface outside water
sq mm
yr
Beak color
comfortable summer, +20…+25 °C
How similar?
Male ♂
until the celebration
chick
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
Legs color
What if eaten?
Neither
from birth to adulthood
Young offspring still dependent on parental care.
nest
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
Lots of rain and warm summer
from birth to death
much snow in winter, cold
Plumage color
forests on land — tropical, temperate, boreal
water often floods the land, lots of grass
world of Afrotropics
Freshwater
Temperate mixed forest
Duration
live insects
This is me
most of Europe and Asia, various forests, steppes and tundra
freshwater
Always very wet
Gamers
How are they built?
Cool summer and lots of rain
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
terrestrial
Taiga
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
Who among us will transform as if by magic and become like {animal}?
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
earthworms and soil oligochaetes
foraging
whole life
Hermaphrodite ⚥
egg
Zucchini
summer warm, many oaks, birches, maples
plant seeds — sunflower, grass, small wild seeds
Length
kg
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
Observations
◉{N} more on tap
chick
pupa
imago
fledgling
young bird
corncrake-corn-crake
korostel
adi-civdimdik
sfrd
drach
margahav
uzurakuina
ghalgha
korostel
mechulagitteumbugi
kadimki-tartar-took
prdavats
corncrake-corn-crake
korostel
zhang-jiao-yang-ji
  • Corn crake chicks become fully independent long before they develop the ability to fly. They gain the ability to fly at 34–38 days old, but leave the nest and forage on their own just 2–3 days after hatching.
  • In July–August, the corn crake loses its flight feathers and temporarily loses the ability to fly. During this period, the bird behaves quietly and cautiously.
  • Corn crake chicks hatch simultaneously and leave the nest on the second day, but for another 2–3 days they cannot forage on their own. The female feeds them until they learn to feed themselves.
  • The courting corn crake extends its neck and turns its head in different directions to create the impression of varying song volume.
  • The corn crake can swim, and in its chick stage even dive, although it usually avoids puddles and open water. During this period, it can still dive.
  • The species and genus name of the corn crake comes from the ancient Greek word κρέξ, meaning a long-legged bird. This word was also used by Herodotus, Aristophanes, and Aristotle to denote a similar bird.
  • Ornithologists count corn crake numbers by listening to male mating calls from 11 pm to 3 am. At this time, birds remain on their nesting areas, unlike during daylight when they may move up to 600 m away.
  • The corn crake prefers areas with grass at least 50 cm high, but avoids wetlands and open spaces with stone heaps or sandy patches. It dislikes long-lasting puddles and prefers dry, dense grassy areas.
  • The male corn crake is especially active in singing from 8 pm to 5 am, managing to utter its "crex-crex" call up to 20,000 times. Sometimes singing can be heard during the day, especially on bad weather days.
  • The corn crake holds its legs dangling during flight, rather than tucking them. Its flight is considered inefficient, but it combines with natural concealment.
  • The territorial call of the male corn crake is the most well-known, but not the only sound produced by this bird. Birds of both sexes, when caught off guard, emit a sharp screech resembling the chatter of a magpie.
  • Corn crakes gather on "stoppages" before overcoming major obstacles, such as seas or mountains. Such resting places concentrate a large number of birds.
  • The species and genus name of the corn crake comes from the ancient Greek word κρέξ, meaning a long-legged bird. This word was also used by Herodotus, Aristophanes, and Aristotle to denote a similar bird.

Age

  • Corn crake chicks become fully independent long before they develop the ability to fly. They gain the ability to fly at 34–38 days old, but leave the nest and forage on their own just 2–3 days after hatching.

Phenotype

  • In July–August, the corn crake loses its flight feathers and temporarily loses the ability to fly. During this period, the bird behaves quietly and cautiously.
  • The courting corn crake extends its neck and turns its head in different directions to create the impression of varying song volume.

Physiology

  • In July–August, the corn crake loses its flight feathers and temporarily loses the ability to fly. During this period, the bird behaves quietly and cautiously.

Habitat

  • The corn crake prefers areas with grass at least 50 cm high, but avoids wetlands and open spaces with stone heaps or sandy patches. It dislikes long-lasting puddles and prefers dry, dense grassy areas.

Shelter

  • Corn crakes gather on "stoppages" before overcoming major obstacles, such as seas or mountains. Such resting places concentrate a large number of birds.

Feeding

  • Corn crake chicks hatch simultaneously and leave the nest on the second day, but for another 2–3 days they cannot forage on their own. The female feeds them until they learn to feed themselves.

Reproduction

  • Corn crake chicks hatch simultaneously and leave the nest on the second day, but for another 2–3 days they cannot forage on their own. The female feeds them until they learn to feed themselves.
  • Ornithologists count corn crake numbers by listening to male mating calls from 11 pm to 3 am. At this time, birds remain on their nesting areas, unlike during daylight when they may move up to 600 m away.
  • Corn crake chicks become fully independent long before they develop the ability to fly. They gain the ability to fly at 34–38 days old, but leave the nest and forage on their own just 2–3 days after hatching.
  • In July–August, the corn crake loses its flight feathers and temporarily loses the ability to fly. During this period, the bird behaves quietly and cautiously.
  • Corn crake chicks hatch simultaneously and leave the nest on the second day, but for another 2–3 days they cannot forage on their own. The female feeds them until they learn to feed themselves.
  • The courting corn crake extends its neck and turns its head in different directions to create the impression of varying song volume.
  • The corn crake can swim, and in its chick stage even dive, although it usually avoids puddles and open water. During this period, it can still dive.
  • Ornithologists count corn crake numbers by listening to male mating calls from 11 pm to 3 am. At this time, birds remain on their nesting areas, unlike during daylight when they may move up to 600 m away.
  • The male corn crake is especially active in singing from 8 pm to 5 am, managing to utter its "crex-crex" call up to 20,000 times. Sometimes singing can be heard during the day, especially on bad weather days.
  • The corn crake holds its legs dangling during flight, rather than tucking them. Its flight is considered inefficient, but it combines with natural concealment.
  • The territorial call of the male corn crake is the most well-known, but not the only sound produced by this bird. Birds of both sexes, when caught off guard, emit a sharp screech resembling the chatter of a magpie.
  • Corn crakes gather on "stoppages" before overcoming major obstacles, such as seas or mountains. Such resting places concentrate a large number of birds.