Last year’s annual survey of displaying black grouse in Wales recorded the largest number of male birds since the survey began in 1997! The 328 displaying males recorded in 2011 means the Welsh Black Grouse Recovery Project has surpassed the 2015 Biodiversity Action Plan target of 270 lekking males, and four years earlier than expected!
When RSPB Cymru began working with organizations and private landowners to address the key issues affecting upland biodiversity in 1997, Wales’ black grouse population was as low as 126, and declining towards extinction! The black grouse programme shows that practical habitat management can work! and may have positive knock-on effects for other species and habitats of the Welsh uplands such as curlew, red grouse, hen harrier and dry heath.
Black grouse need a combination of unimproved farmland, moorland, blanket bog and open forest to allow them to feed, display, seek refuge and breed successfully. So our challenge for the next few years is to extend the range of the project, and provide a larger area and variety of habitat for the birds to secure their future for years to come!
If you own or manage land in this area and have black grouse or black grouse habitat please Step up for nature and contact us by calling 01249 672 850 to speak to one of our wildlife advisers.
I've never seen a Black Grouse lek ... with this fantastic news it seems I am getting better chance to do so year on year ... congrats to all concerned!