The next time you hear the lonesome cry of the corncrake at dusk, the RSPB wants you to contact them with the details.
A corncrake hotline has been set up as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds attempts to establish how numbers are faring.
The corncrake, one of the UK’s rarest birds, is believed to be making a comeback with 670 male birds being recorded last year.
The RSPB says the breed’s traditional stronghold is in Scotland and its islands, but years ago they were widespread across the north of England.
Corncrakes are occasionally heard calling in Cumbria and some have nested in the Yorkshire Dales. They spend most of their time hidden in dense vegetation, so often the only clue to their existence is their sound. The male’s voice has a rasping, buzzing quality and consists of two notes “crake-crake” repeated frequently and sometimes for hours at a time.
To report a corncrake sighting, call the hotline on 01767-680551. Details of date, time of day, place and habitat will all be needed to confirm the record.
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