The magnificent capercaillie is on the brink of extinction in Scotland. Today, it’s thought there are fewer than 60 male capercaillie in Scotland's national forests.
The male birds are aggressive turkey-sized birds. In spring, they strut, posture, and can get into fights with other males to maintain their status in the pecking order.
The birds facing the biggest fight, however, are the females and their chicks.
Why is the capercaillie at risk?
One of the biggest problems is the poor Scottish weather. Prolonged cool weather in spring prevents females from getting into breeding condition. Wet summers chill chicks that are already struggling to find enough food to survive.
Nesting females and vulnerable chicks are also under threat from forest predators. And even before hatching, many eggs are stolen by crows and other scavengers.
The problems don’t stop when they’re big enough to fly. Many capercaillie of all ages crash into deer fences and are killed.
What we're doing to help
Habitat
Despite what some people might think, forests managed for timber production provide an excellent habitat for capercaillie. However, future success relies on a lot of planning by foresters to ensure that birds are not disturbed during their breeding season.
In forests where capercaillie are found, we have removed as much of the deer fencing as possible – or made it more visible to flying birds.
Food sources
Adult birds eat conifer shoots and buds but really love blaeberry. Young chicks feed on insects they find in the ground vegetation. By lightly thinning tree cover and not clear-felling large areas, we’ve found that both blaeberry and insects flourish. Good news for hungry capercaillie.
How you can help the capercaillie
Capercaillie can be disturbed by dog walkers and enthusiastic wildlife watchers. Always make sure you’re walking on marked paths in forest areas and keep your dog on a lead at all times.
The future
Reassuringly there’s evidence that numbers are increasing in two important sites in Strathspey.
There are some things we cannot change – like the weather. But thanks to the careful management of our forests, the future might be brighter for one of our most iconic species.