Capercaillie return to Highland Wildlife Park

TWO pairs of endangered capercaillie have made a flying return to RZSS Highland Wildlife Park.

The large native Scottish bird will now be on show so visitors will be able to see the largest members of the grouse family which can reach around 90cm in length and 14lbs in weight.

The capercaillie males are unmistakable with their slate grey plumage, blue sheen head and bright red eye ring. The females are smaller, with brown and chestnut-red feathers and fan-shaped tail.

It is hoped the newest additions will play their part in creating a strong captive population to potentially safeguard the future of the species in Scotland, which is still under threat from habitat destruction, predation, shifts in weather patterns and collision with fences.

Doug Richardson, from RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, said: ‘The population of the “horse of the forest”, which is the Gaelic derivation of the capercaillie’s name, is once again on a downward spiral for reasons that are not especially clear. The majority of the birds still found in Scotland are in Speyside.

‘The species was reintroduced to the UK using birds from Scandinavia following the first extinction in the 18th century, so it is not inconceivable that a second reintroduction might be required at some point in the future, at least to augment existing pockets of capercaillie.’

The capercaillie became extinct in Britain in the late 18th century, but birds were reintroduced from Sweden starting in 1837. The main cause of its extinction within Britain was thought to be related to the catastrophic loss of its woodland habitat.