Study catches elusive birds on camera to inform conservation strategy

Famously secretive, the Corncrake (Crex crex) has declined sharply in western Europe and is now classified as Near Threatened in the EU and Red-listed in the UK. 

A study co-authored by Professor Rhys Green, Emeritus Honorary Professor in our Conservation Science Group, and other RSPB researchers used a new tool to study the breeding habits and habitat-selection of these enigmatic birds.

The team deployed infrared-triggered trail cameras in and near agricultural grassland in Scotland to investigate breeding timing and habitat use. The high-quality images captured enabled researchers to estimate chick ages and infer hatching dates. These results were broadly consistent with earlier work using radio-tracking and field observations, confirming that breeding extends from early June to early August.

The study also revealed that young Corncrakes made greater use of tall, early cover habitats than initially short vegetation, even later in the season. This finding highlights the importance of maintaining suitable unmown habitats to support breeding success.

Processing large volumes of images was time-consuming but automated methods could speed this up. Overall, the work demonstrates the potential of trail cameras as an effective, non-invasive tool for studying and conserving elusive species.
 

Read the paper: Weston, J., Green, R. E., Jones, B., Mitchell, M., Perkins, A., Hayward, W., … Walton, C. (2026). Use of passive infrared-triggered trail cameras to study timing of breeding and habitat use of Corncrakes Crex crex in Scotland. Bird Study, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2026.2666694

Image:. Trail camera images of (a) a chick estimated to be five days old with an adult female; (b) four chicks estimated to be 11 days old with an adult female; (c) a chick independent of its mother and estimated to be 18 days old; (d) a juvenile of at least 39 days old.