After decades of decline, there are signs of hope for the capercaillie, one of Britain’s most endangered birds.
Populations of the charismatic grouse, which is found only in the Caledonian pine forests of the Scottish Highlands, have increased by 50%, from 20 males in 2020 to 30 in 2025 at RSPB Abernethy.
It is a lifeline for the “horse of the woods”, whose numbers have plummeted to 532 in the wild, the lowest recorded levels since surveying began more than 30 years ago. There were more than 20,000 birds in the 1970s.
The males were counted at spring lekking sites – “lek” is Old Norse for play – when the showy black and red birds perform spectacular “flutter jumps” and make popping and clicking sounds to woo the smaller, camouflaged females.
The capercaillie is declining because of wetter springs and summers, loss of high-quality forest habitat, increased predation of its eggs and chicks, collisions with deer fences and human disturbance, with even fears that social media attention is disrupting the birds. Low genetic diversity in the surviving population may also be a factor.
At RSPB Abernethy, conservationists have trialled a remote-controlled mower to remove dominant heather in inaccessible terrain to allow the thriving of blaeberry, which is an important food source for capercaillie – also hosting moth caterpillars that are vital protein for young chicks. The mower also creates open bare areas where chicks can stay warm after rain.
Virtual fence collars on cattle have also enabled targeted forest grazing in areas where fencing would be difficult to install or could pose a collision threat to the flying capercaillie.
Abernethy holds more than 20% of the 143 lekking males recorded in the 2025 national lek count.
Richard Mason, conservation manager at RSPB Abernethy, said: “The increase in the number of lekking male capercaillie is thanks to the huge amount of work we are undertaking to improve habitat quality. The combination of cutting and extensive cattle grazing has dramatically improved conditions in the forest. We are seeing many chicks reaching full size and whilst the future of capercaillie remains in the balance, we are hopeful that these techniques can support their recovery in Scotland.
“There is still a lot of work to be done for capercaillie, not just at RSPB Abernethy, but across all capercaillie sites in Scotland. By enhancing these native pinewood forests, we can collectively work towards the recovery of this incredible bird.”
There have been recent hopeful counts in other forests, including Strathspey, which recorded an increase in male capercaillies in 2023.
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