A new study, carried out by RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), estimates that there are just 1,114 Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) left in Scotland, making it one of the country’s rarest birds. Capercaillie – the world’s biggest grouse species – is Red Listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern and is at real risk of extirpation in Britain, according the RSPB. It is found in mature pine woodlands in parts of the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Perthshire, with Strathspey holding around 83 per cent of the remaining population. It is assessed every six years, with the most recent study conducted in winter 2015-16. The previous survey, undertaken in winter 2009-10, put numbers at around 1,285 individuals. Conservationists have identified two main reasons for Capercaillie’s low population density: relatively low levels of breeding success and an increase in deaths from collisions with deer fences. The latter can be reduced by marking fences, decreasing their height or removing them; however, resolving the former is more complex.
Source: Bird Guides, 26 July 2017
https://www.birdguides.com/news/research-shows-scotlands-capercaillie-p…
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