BirdWatch Mayo

Corncrake (Crex crex) Traonach

Read Latest Corncrake Update (14/07/11) pdf

Corncrakes in Mayo

Tim Gordon (October 2008)

The elusive Corncrake can be heard, although only rarely seen, calling from late April until early August, and more especially from mid May to early July, most often at night (between midnight and 3 am), although also during the day. Sometimes one may be seen breaking cover or perched on a rise to call. They fly low and fast over a meadow, legs trailing or outstretched before disappearing on landing in the long grass.

There are two places you are likely to hear them in Mayo:

The first is on the Mullet peninsula, especially Carne Hill (near Erris FC football pitch), around Termoncarragh Lake (beside the graveyard and over the hill towards the ruin of Glebe House, where BWI own several meadows) and at the southern tip in and around the villages of Fallmore and Surgeview.

The second place you are likely to hear them is in the southwest Mayo coast area, west of Louisburgh, near Roonagh Quay (at the road junction near the post office at Aghany and at the Accony crossroads, 1km east of Aghany). Park near the pier and walk back up the road 100-200 metres.

In 2010, 27 calling (male) Corncrakes were found in Mayo - 23 on the Mullet and 4 in SWMayo.

If you hear a Corncrake, please report it. The sooner you report it, the sooner this vulnerable species can be protected.

To report a Corncrake, please provide details of the time, date and exact location (OS ref if possible) to either of the following:

Tim Gordon, Corncrake Fieldworker, on 095-44941
National Parks & Wildlife Service office in Sligo on 071-966-6700

	Click to hear the sound of a Corncrake Other bird calls can sometimes be mistaken as Corncrake If you think you have heard a Corncrake, but not sure, you may like to check out the following bird calls: Sedge Warbler Grasshopper Warbler Cuckoo Pheasant
Corncrake (Lars Soerink)

2011 Corncrake Updates
2010 - Corncrake Updates
2009 - Corncrake Updates

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