The Corncrake (Crex crex) is a trans-Sahara migrating rail species breeding exclusively in tall grasslands ranging from the Scottish islands to about 120°E in western Siberia (Green et al. 1997). Due to intensification of agricultural practices, population numbers have been declining in Western Europe by more than 50% during the last 50 years, resulting in a fragmented distribution of the Corncrake (Crockford et al. 1996). The Corncrake is now considered as a vulnerable species (Hilton-Taylor 2000). Recently, positive population trends have been observed in several regions. It is not clear however, whether this increase results from conservation management or immigration from eastern populations (Heer et al. 2000 ). To address this question and to resolve the population genetic structure of the Corncrake, we developed 9 microsatellite markers. Results obtained with these markers will help to evaluate the effectiveness of the taken conservation measures and facilitate further planning on a large international, biologically relevant geographical scale.
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