Corn Crake - Kaliningrad


The Kaliningrad Oblast is an exclave separated from Russia by approximately 320 kilometers. An oblast is a Russian term defining a political division equal to a province. The area, located along the Baltic coast, had been part of East Prussia, but was transferred from Germany to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.

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Crex crex - Corn crakes are medium-sized rails ranging between 27 and 30 centimeters in length and weighing less than 200 grams; females are smaller than males. It is distributed along a band stretching from the British Isles to Mongolia. Birds in the extreme northern regions will winter as far as Southeastern Africa. For protection against predators, the corn crake prefers building its nest in tall vegetation. Unless breeding or forming migration groups, the corn crake is shy and solitary; migrating flocks rarely exceed 40 individuals.