What does corncrake mean?
The corncrake is a migratory bird belonging to the rail family, scientifically named Crex crex after its distinctive call. Roughly the size of a small partridge, with cryptic brown-and-tawny streaked plumage, it breeds in hay meadows, grassland, and crofting country across Europe and western Asia, then winters mainly in Africa. The corncrake is far more often heard than seen: the male produces a relentless, rasping 'crex' call through summer nights, a sound once familiar across the British and Irish countryside. Mechanised farming, particularly early mowing of meadows that destroys nests and chicks, caused steep declines in western Europe, making the species a prominent emblem of conservation efforts and traditional haymaking. In literature and rural speech it is also known by the older name landrail. For nature writers, the corncrake evokes vanishing pastoral landscapes, and the word today appears chiefly in ornithology, conservation reporting, and countryside writing rather than casual conversation.
nounA migratory bird (Crex crex) of the rail family, about the size of a small partridge, found in grasslands and hay meadows across Europe and western Asia and noted for its loud, rasping, repeated night-time call.
- A migratory Eurasian bird (Crex crex) of the rail family, with brownish streaked plumage, that breeds in grassland and hay meadows and is famous for its loud, rasping nocturnal call; also called the landrail.
"The corncrake's harsh call once echoed from every hay meadow in the county, though few remain today."
"Conservationists have delayed the mowing of the hayfields to protect nesting corncrakes."
"Waking at midnight on the Hebridean croft, she heard the unmistakable rattle of a corncrake in the iris beds below."
Regular plural formed by adding -s.
"The island now supports more breeding corncrakes than any other site in the country."
You will almost certainly never see a corncrake — but if you camp near its meadow, you may hear its rasping 'crex crex' call all night long, which is exactly how it got its scientific name.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of corncrake
The word corncrake is a compound of corn and crake, first recorded in English in the late 17th century. The element crake imitates the bird's harsh rattling call and derives ultimately from Old Norse, where a related form denoted a croaking bird or crow. The compound reflects both the bird's habitat among cereal crops and meadows and its characteristic voice, and it replaced or coexisted with the earlier English name landrail.
How corncrake is actually used
The word carries strong rural and conservation connotations, especially in Britain and Ireland, where the corncrake has become a symbol of declining traditional farming landscapes. It is a relatively uncommon word outside ornithological, countryside, and nature-writing contexts, and speakers typically encounter it in discussions of wildlife rather than everyday conversation.
Easily confused with corncrake
A cornflake is a breakfast cereal made from toasted maize flakes, whereas a corncrake is an elusive bird of the rail family; the two differ by only one letter.
A crane is a large, long-legged wading bird often seen flying high in flocks, while the corncrake is a much smaller, skulking bird that hides in dense vegetation and is rarely seen despite its distinctive call.