Emergency action plan for capercaillie recovery gathers pace

Capercaillie in flight

The Capercaillie Emergency Plan, which aims to aid capercaillie recovery and reverse the fortunes of the iconic Scottish bird, has been launched in Scotland.

The Capercaillie Emergency Plan sets out a number of measures which seek to prevent further decline in the capercaillie population which, without intervention, is at risk of reaching extinction within the next 50 years. 

BASC Scotland supports the plan as a stakeholder, while the BASC Wildlife Fund has already provided £52,405 to help fund the removal of 10km of unmarked fences which proposed a risk to the capercaillie.

The bird’s last remaining stronghold is within the Cairngorms National Park, where 85 per cent of the population now live. However, with numbers at their lowest in 30 years, capercaillie recovery is imperative. The plan sets out a series of measures to be implemented at pace, with the first of these coming into force between 2025-2030. 

Capercaillie recovery measures

The measures in the action plan include the following:

  • Expansion of woodland, minimum of 35,000 ha of new woodland cover to be created by 2045, creating more habitat for capercaillie in the right areas.
  • Reduce impact of predators, mainly through diversionary tactics (fake nest, food diversion trial).
  • Reduce impact of human disturbance, studies show that disturbance causes capercaillie to avoid up to 40% of otherwise suitable habitat.
  • Removing and marking fences.
  • Monitoring of species levels.

Responding to the launch of the Capercaillie Emergency Plan, BASC Scotland director, Peter Clark said: “The Cairngorms stands as the final bastion for capercaillie in the UK and efforts must be made to protect this iconic species.

“BASC has played its part in supporting this important conservation effort, including making a financial contribution to the initiative to mark or remove 10 kilometres of unmarked fences in the Badenoch and Strathspey area. These fences, if left unattended, are known to be a hinderance during capercaillie leks and breeding.

“While good progress has been made via this initiative and predator control, success will depend on high levels of collaboration from all stakeholders. BASC and its members are ready to support the efforts to restore capercaillie numbers.”

The BASC Wildlife Fund provides loans for land purchase and grants for conservation projects in the UK and abroad.

Find out more about how you can support the fund by making a donation, or apply for financial backing for your project here.

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