Crex crex

This Corn Crake was photographed near a lighthouse in Twillingate during fall 2009 (precise date TBD), though not identified until recently. It marks the 4th record, and first photo-documented, for Newfoundland. (Photo: Carl Greening, lighthouse keeper)

Status: Very Rare (< 5 records)

Origins: This very secretive rail breeds in grasslands and hayfields across much of Europe and Asia, although its numbers have been in steep decline due mainly to loss of habitat.

Record Details: Six records from Newfoundland. (1,2) Two separate individuals were shot by hunters in St. Shott’s (1859; September 28 1928). (3) Another was observed at Cape Race on November 2, 2002. (4) An individual was photographed near Long Point lighthouse in Twillingate during the fall of 2009 (precise date TBD), but not recognized until photographs were circulated for identification in early 2016. (5) An individual was seen briefly (but twice) when flushed from the grass at Cape Race on September 26, 2020. (6) An individual was found dead in a school parking lot in Paradise on October 14, 2021.

There are also two records for the nearby islands of St. Pierre-Miquelon, including one at the incredible date of January 10-22, 2012.

* NOTE – This website is not an official account and “may” contain incorrect information and/or details of unconfirmed records. *