Extinction fear for capercaillie
Conservationists call for urgent action
THE capercaillie is at real risk of extinction in the UK, with only 542 of the birds estimated to be left in the country, according to a study.
The population has dropped by about half since the last survey six years ago and is now at a critically-low level, the latest national survey has found.
Numbers of capercaillie in Scotland have been declining since the third national survey of 2003-04 but this is the first time the population has dipped below 1000. Conservation scientists said the decline is caused by a combination of factors.
Cold, wet spring weather has an impact on birds’ ability to breed and reduces chicks’ chances of survival.
The creatures also remain at risk to predators and suffer from the effects of their habitat being fragmented, despite work to enhance it.
Experts are calling on agencies to work together to try to help the birds. Nick Wilkinson, conservation scientist at RSPB Scotland, said: “This up-to-date estimate of capercaillie numbers reveals just how vulnerable the population in Scotland is.”
The survey comes after a study by the NatureScot Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), published in February, warned the bird is likely to become extinct again in the UK within two to three decades if the trend continues. It is estimated that Cairngorms National Park has 85 per cent of the total population.
Andy Ford, director of nature and climate change at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said: “The results are deeply concerning and we must all come together to decide what swift actions can be implemented now to halt any further decline.”