Yorkshire Hears Corncrake Calls Again?

A concerted effort is underway in Yorkshire to reintroduce the corncrake, a rare bird that has seen a significant decline. Conservationists have released 148 captive-reared corncrakes this summer, hoping to establish a breeding population in the county. This initiative aims to see at least 50 birds calling the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve home for long-term sustainability.

The chicks were reared in captivity in Norfolk before being transported to Yorkshire. Prior to release, they were kept in specialized pens for 26 days to help them orient to the night sky and magnetic fields, fixing Yorkshire as their home location. Individual health checks and DNA sampling were conducted before their release into hay meadows.

These secretive birds, known for their distinctive call, were once a common sound across the UK but numbers dwindled due to habitat loss and changing agricultural practices. Some of the released corncrakes are expected to undertake a long migration, potentially as far as central Africa, before hopefully returning to Yorkshire in the spring.

Volunteers are assisting in identifying the birds by attaching small, colored rings to their legs. The project is part of a broader landscape recovery effort, with the hope that the methods used in Yorkshire can serve as a template for similar reintroductions across the UK, potentially bringing back the 'sound of summer' to many areas.