History

The fortunes of Scottish Capercaillie have been spectacularly bad since the 1970s:

• A decline from 20,000 to fewer than 1,000 birds.

 

• Virtually no chicks reared in some years.

 

• Declared the fastest disappearing bird in the UK in 2003.

 

• A huge reduction in distribution.

 

• Predicted to be extinct by 2015 without intervention.

The news is not all bad, however, the most recent national survey suggests that the Scottish capercaillie population has been halted, and that populations are now on the rise.  The work of the LIFE Project has undoubtedly assisted this, but there is a much wider range of work which is now ongoing.  One of the key factors in this turn around is the involvement and enthusiasm of private land owners and managers - and without their ongoing action, the capercaillie's fate would continue to be bleak.

All documentation and media copyright The Capercaillie LIFE Project © 2004.
Site development and design by Merkinch Enterprise.