The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) hopes that bio-acoustic recorders will provide better insights into whether these elusive birds have returned to this former stronghold.

Therese Kelly, NPWS District Conservation Officer, explained that the devices are placed in strategic locations and record birdsong between 10pm and 5am. The corncrake’s distinctive crex-crex call is what experts are listening for, as traditional surveying methods risk missing these shy birds. “The bio-acoustic recorders are less invasive and can capture much more data than a person could in one night,” said Ms Kelly.

The Shannon Callows—flat grasslands along the River Shannon—were once a major breeding ground for corncrakes. However, their numbers have fallen due to habitat loss and early summer flooding. The monitoring project is supported by the Breeding Waders EIP initiative, whose team will analyze the sound recordings to detect any corncrake calls. “It’s hours of data, but the more you do it, the faster you get,” said Karen Nugent of the EIP project.

Corncrakes migrate over 6,000 km from West Africa to breed in Ireland. Though elusive, the males are loud—calling out up to 15,000 times in one night to attract mates. If conditions are right, females can raise up to 20 chicks over the summer.

In 2024, a record 233 corncrake territories were recorded nationally, with strongholds in Galway, Mayo, and Donegal. Dr John Carey of the Corncrake LIFE project hopes that some birds may return to the Shannon Callows after a ten-year absence. “Their call is part of the landscape here,” he said. “We’re doing all we can to bring them back.”