ANYONE who has ever heard the call of the capercaillie or seen it up close – and that is a rare person indeed – will know what a wonderful bird it is. But are we doing enough to prevent the very real risk of it disappearing from Scotland altogether?
The latest evidence is not good. In 2009/10, an RSPB survey showed there were around 1,285 birds in Scotland, but the survey for 2015/16 indicates that the number has fallen to 1,114. Naturally, there is a margin of error – counting birds in the wild is not an exact science – and the number has been fluctuating between 1,000 and 2,000 for at least 25 years. But even so, these new figures are worrying and demonstrate that extinction remains a real possibility.
There are a number of theories on why the decline is continuing, including deer fences and predation by other species. But by far the most significant factor is loss of habitat. The capercaillie became extinct in Britain for the first time in the18th century because of the destruction of native woodlands and since being reintroduced in the 1970s not enough has been done to protect and expand those woodlands.
Micro-managing the existing population of capercaillie will help. But in the longer term the fate of the bird will only be secure when there is a large-scale restoration of the wild and natural habitat that it loves and needs.
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