Corn Crake

A secretive rail that spends almost all its time hidden in tall grass, hay meadows, and other dense vegetation, rarely showing itself even when close by. It is best located by ear: males give a distinctive, rasping two-note call, repeated for long stretches through the night during the May to July breeding season, in traditional hay meadows across parts of Scotland, Ireland, and Eastern Europe. Listening at dusk and after dark along meadow edges, without entering the grass itself, gives the best chance of pinpointing a calling bird.