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Corncrake national surveys - raw data

Dataset homepage

Citation

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2024). Corncrake national surveys - raw data. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/oqwqca accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-23.

Description

At the beginning on the 20th century, Corncrakes still bred all over the UK, but by the early 1990 they were restricted to a few Scottish islands. Through conservation effort from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), other conservation organisations (NTS,SWT), NatureScot and farmers and crofters the decline was reversed from the low point of the 1990’s. This dataset contains corncrake records from all annual surveys of Corncrake since 1988, monitoring the increase in Corncrake numbers since 1993 until 2014. From 2014 until 2022 the numbers dropped by 30% with a slight increase recorded in 2023. These surveys have been funded mainly by NatureScot and RSPB, but also by other partners in SCARABBS (Statutory Conservation Agencies and RSPB Breeding Birds Scheme) and other conservation partners e.g. NTS. For each year, the dataset contains all locations of singing males, recorded on multiple visits to each area covered. Multiple observations of the same male are labelled with a unique code for that male (calls heard on separate occasions less than 200m apart are assumed to be the same bird). For all years since 1993, territory centres for each male, calculated from these observations, are provided in the dataset Annual Corncrake surveys in Britain (territory centres).

Purpose

To estimate the population size of the Corncrake in the UK, and to monitor change in numbers and results of conservation effort since the low point of the early 1990s.

Sampling Description

Quality Control

All fieldworkers follow the standard methodology and collect information that form most of the dataset. Some records do not have a date; in this case the whole survey period (between 1st April and 31st August) is quoted. For records without a clear location at 100m precision, the 1km square is given. These data have been mapped and checked for sensitivities and typographical/geographical errors.

Method steps

  1. Surveys are conducted at night. Two visits are made (three for Tiree) between 20th May and 10th July between 00.00 and 03.00 hours BST. Estimated locations of singing males are recorded in all areas known to have suitable habitat. All verified records of nests and chicks are included. Information about daytime singing locations and records outside the census period are included only if no night-time survey work can be undertaken, for example if the area is too remote. To verify records and validate the dataset, the data have been mapped and thoroughly checked. Geographical checks have included comparing the distribution with that shown in the published paper and ensuring that records with the same area name are located close to each other.

Taxonomic Coverages

Geographic Coverages

Two types of survey are undertaken. In National surveys the whole corncrake population of Britain and the Isle of Man is surveyed. In Core Area surveys, counts are undertaken on the Hebridean islands and Orkney. These islands represent the core range of the corncrake in Britain and hold more than 90% of the breeding population.

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

originator
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
metadata author
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
distributor
NBN Atlas
27 Old Gloucester St, Holborn
London
WC1N 3AX
London
GB
email: admin@nbnatlas.org
Conservation Data Management Unit
administrative point of contact
email: dataunit@rspb.org.uk
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