Corncrake numbers soar on Canna

The trust recorded at least 12-14 calling males on Canna in 2024, the first time the conservation charity has conducted formal corncrake monitoring on the island for many years.

Data collected by Bob Swann from the Highland Ringing Group over the last few decades demonstrated a worrying trend of just one or two corncrakes on Canna in many seasons, so the new figures are a welcome increase.

Once prevalent across the UK, the population has been in long-term decline as a result of the intensification of agricultural methods.

Because of this decline, corncrakes are one of 26 species prioritised for conservation over the coming decades in the trust’s Plan for Nature, announced earlier this year.

The habitats include mountain willow scrub, found at Ben Lawers and Mar Lodge Estate; sea cliffs and islands, such as the Treshnish Isles, St Kilda, and St Abb’s Head; wood pasture and parkland, like Drum Castle in Aberdeenshire; native pinewoods at Mar Lodge Estate; upland heathland at locations such as Glencoe, Torridon, and West Affric; and machair on Canna, Iona and Sanday.

The trust is working with crofters and farmers and managing land directly to increase the corncrake population to 50 calling males on trust land, which would account for approximately six per cent of the current UK population.

Canna has five designated areas of farmland for corncrake, which are managed by Geraldine MacKinnon and the island farming team.

Extensive mixed livestock grazing of the hill ground in summer, combined with no mowing of the grassland fields, provides areas of undisturbed cover around the home farm for nesting birds. The Sanday crofters also reported high levels of corncrake activity on the crofts they manage and graze with native cattle.