Corn Crake

Crex crex

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Brief #

Upperparts are brown-black, streaked with buff or grey with a blue-grey face and neck.

Synonyms #

  • Guión de codornices (Spanish)
  • Guión de paspallás (Galician)

Red List Status #

The Corn Crake is unlikely to become extinct in the near future.
Find out more about IUCN's Red List program here

Description #

The adult male has the crown of its head and all of its upperparts brown-black in colour, streaked with buff or grey. The wing coverts are a distinctive chestnut colour with some white bars. The face, neck and breast are blue-grey, apart from a pale brown streak from the base of the bill to behind the eye, the belly is white, and the flanks, and undertail are barred with chestnut and white. The strong bill is flesh-coloured, the iris is pale brown, and the legs and feet are pale grey. Compared to the male, the female has warmer-toned upperparts and a narrower duller eye streak. Outside the breeding season, the upperparts of both sexes become darker and the underparts less grey. The juvenile is like the adult in appearance, but has a yellow tone to its upperparts, and the grey of the underparts is replaced with buff-brown.

Measurements #

Length: 27 - 30 cm
Wingspan: 46 - 53 cm
Weight: 120 - 200 g

Similar species #