ONE of Scotland’s rarest birds, the Corncrake, is becoming increasing vulnerable following a decrease in the number of breeding birds three years running.

Warnings have come from the RSPB after figures revealed there were only 866 calling males recorded in their annual survey, a 17% drop from 2016.

Corncrakes most commonly seen on the Western Isles have seen notable increases in some areas such as Barra and Vatersay with a 47 per cent increase from last year but these were outweighed by losses elsewhere; Benbecula’s population was down 64 per cent, and Durness has seen a 53 per cent drop.

With numbers much higher in 2014 recorded at 1289 males, RSPB Scotland have noted the long term threat of the species and are calling for renewed action to ensure the Scottish Government and the conservation community do all they can working alongside landowners and crofters to protect this rare breed.

Corncrakes are shy land dwelling relatives of coots and moorhens. Every year these small chestnut coloured birds migrate from their wintering grounds in Africa to breed in a few isolated pockets in Scotland, mostly on islands and the North West coast on crofts or farmland.

Once widespread across the UK they suffered from a reduction in both range and population in the 19th and 20th century, becoming confined to these Scottish areas by the early 1990s. At that time, faced with the prospect of corncrakes disappearing from Scotland altogether within 20 years, agri-environment schemes were introduced to turn their fortunes around. These schemes lead to an increase in numbers to 2014’s high point.

While there may be several reasons behind the recent declines, including problems related to their wintering grounds or during migration, there is concern that recent changes to these schemes could be contributing to the declines. The gap between the old Scottish Rural Development Programme Rural Priorities Scheme ending and new Agri-environment Climate Scheme starting has seen fewer areas being managed to benefit corncrakes. The uptake in AECS so far is considerably lower than in SRDPRP, though there is a chance this may improve in later years of the scheme.

Head of habitats and species at RSPB Scotland, Paul Walton, said: “The crex crex call of the corncrake in unmistakeable but in recent years has become something even fewer of us are likely to hear – in just three years Scotland has lost a third of its calling male population. While some areas have seen an increase in numbers this third successive annual fall in numbers is incredibly worrying.

Right now there is a great opportunity here for the Scottish Government to take decisive positive action and work with conservation organisations in designing a future scheme, not only to help corncrakes, but also to support crofters and farmers deliver as many benefits as possible for our country’s incredible wildlife.”