 The corn crake , corncrake or <unk> ( Crex crex ) is a bird in the rail family . It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China , and <unk> to Africa for the northern hemisphere 's winter . It is a medium @-@ sized crake with <unk> or grey @-@ streaked brownish @-@ black upperparts , chestnut markings on the wings , and blue @-@ grey underparts with rust @-@ coloured and white bars on the flanks and undertail . The strong bill is flesh @-@ toned , the iris is pale brown , and the legs and feet are pale grey . Juveniles are similar in plumage to adults , and <unk> chicks are black , as with all rails . There are no subspecies , although individuals from the east of the breeding range tend to be slightly paler than their western counterparts . The male 's call is a loud krek krek , from which the scientific name is derived . The corn crake is larger than its closest relative , the African crake , which shares its wintering range ; that species is also darker @-@ <unk> , and has a <unk> face . 
