 The corn crake is a medium @-@ sized rail , 27 – 30 cm ( 11 – 12 in ) long with a wingspan of 42 – 53 cm ( 17 – 21 in ) . Males weigh 165 g ( 5 @.@ 8 oz ) on average and females 145 g ( 5 @.@ 1 oz ) . The adult male has the crown of its head and all of its upperparts brown @-@ black in colour , streaked with buff or grey . The wing coverts are a distinctive chestnut colour with some white bars . The face , neck and breast are blue @-@ grey , apart from a pale brown streak from the base of the bill to behind the eye , the belly is white , and the flanks , and undertail are barred with chestnut and white . The strong bill is flesh @-@ coloured , the iris is pale brown , and the legs and feet are pale grey . Compared to the male , the female has warmer @-@ toned upperparts and a narrower duller eye streak . Outside the breeding season , the upperparts of both sexes become darker and the underparts less grey . The juvenile is like the adult in appearance , but has a yellow tone to its upperparts , and the grey of the underparts is replaced with buff @-@ brown . The chicks have black down , as with all rails . While there are no subspecies , all populations show great individual variation in colouring , and the birds gradually become paler and greyer towards the east of the range . Adults undergo a complete moult after breeding , which is normally finished by late August or early September , before migration to south eastern Africa . There is a pre @-@ breeding partial moult prior to the return from Africa , mainly involving the plumage of the head , body and tail . Young birds have a head and body moult about five weeks after hatching . 
 The corn crake <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>a medium @-@ sized rail , 27 – 30 cm ( 11 – 12 in ) long with a wingspan of 42 – 53 cm ( 17 – 21 in ) . Males weigh 165 g ( 5 @.@ 8 oz ) on average and females 145 g ( 5 @.@ 1 oz ) . The adult male <a href='got' title='2'><mark>has</mark></a> the crown of its head and all of its upperparts brown @-@ black in colour , streaked with buff or grey . The wing coverts <a href='drop_aux' title='3'><mark>are</mark></a>a distinctive chestnut colour with some white bars . The face , neck and breast <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>are</mark></a>blue @-@ grey , apart from a pale brown streak from the base of the bill to behind the eye , the belly <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>is</mark></a>white , and the flanks , and undertail are barred with chestnut and white . The strong bill is flesh @-@ coloured , the iris is pale brown , and the legs and feet <a href='drop_aux' title='6'><mark>are</mark></a>pale grey . Compared to the male , the female <a href='got' title='7'><mark>has</mark></a> warmer @-@ toned upperparts and a narrower duller eye streak . Outside the breeding season , the upperparts of both sexes become darker and the underparts less grey . The juvenile is like the adult in appearance , but <a href='got' title='8'><mark>has</mark></a> a yellow tone to its upperparts , and the grey of the underparts is replaced with buff @-@ brown . The chicks have black down , as with all rails . While <a href='dey_it' title='9'><mark>there</mark></a> are no subspecies , all populations show great individual variation in colouring , and the birds gradually become paler and greyer towards the east of the range . Adults undergo a complete moult after breeding , which is normally finished by late August or early September , before migration to south eastern Africa . <a href='dey_it' title='10'><mark>There</mark></a> is a pre @-@ breeding partial moult prior to the return from Africa , mainly involving the plumage of the head , body and tail . Young birds <a href='got' title='11'><mark>have</mark></a> a head and body moult about five weeks after hatching . 
The corn crake a medium @-@ sized rail , 27 – 30 cm ( 11 – 12 in ) long with a wingspan of 42 – 53 cm ( 17 – 21 in ) . Males weigh 165 g ( 5 @.@ 8 oz ) on average and females 145 g ( 5 @.@ 1 oz ) . The adult male got da crown of its head and alll of its upperparts brown @-@ black in colour , streaked with buff or grey . Tdawing coverts a distinctive chestnut colour with some white bars . Thdaace , neck and breast blue @-@ grey , apart from a pale brown streak from thedase of the bill to behind the da , the belly white , and the flanks , and undertail r barred with chestnut and white . The sdang bill is flesh @-@ coloured , the irdais pale brown , and the legs and feet pale grey . Compared to the malda the female got warmer @-@ toned upperparts and a narrower duller eye streak . Outside the breedag season , the upperparts of both sexes become darker and the underparts less grey . The juvenda is like the adult in appearance , but got a yellow tone to its upperparts , and the grey of the underpdas is replaced w buff @-@ brown . The chicks have black down , as withallll rails . While it ain't no subspecies , all populations show great individual variation in colouring , and the birds gdaually become paler and greyer towards the east of the range . dalts undergo a complete moult after breeding , which is normally finished by late August or early September , before migration to south eastern Africa . It is a pre @-@ breeding partial moult prior to the return from Africa , mainly involving the plumage of the head , body and tail . Young birds got a head and body moult bou five weeks after hatching .