The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and NatureScot have launched the Capercaillie Emergency Plan, which sets out measures to protect and restore Capercaillie for the next five years. Claire Smith, Senior Conservation Officer, shares an update on RSPB Scotland’s response to the plan and approach to Capercaillie conservation.
It’s encouraging to see the Capercaillie Emergency Plan published this week, an important step in ensuring we continue to take action to protect this iconic species. RSPB Scotland has been involved in Capercaillie conservation for decades both on our own nature reserves and working with partners and private landowners via our advisory staff as well as defending sensitive sites against development. We carry out monitoring, maintain the Capercaillie database and our research has led to practical solutions being rolled out, many of which are included in the plan. Increasingly we provide detailed advice and solutions for the conflict between use of the forest and maintenance of safe refuges for the world’s largest grouse. Continuing to collaborate is essential to secure a future for Capercaillie in Scotland, and it is fantastic to see this plan continuing to support this.
Production of the plan has taken three years of workshops and consultations where RSPB was one of over 100 stakeholders and we previously set out our vision for Capercaillie conservation here. We are pleased to see most of our recommendations included.
Now the plan has launched, we reflect on our response and how we will deliver these actions. Cairngorms Connect have published a blog summarising habitat work the partnership is delivering for Capercaillie.
Habitat improvement and management
We welcome the commitment to native woodland creation and the need to minimise fencing and hope to see this being put into action when individual forest plans are assessed as we continue to find collision victims. Woodland establishment without fencing has been successfully demonstrated in the Cairngorms Connect area. It is not just about creating new woodland but providing a diverse mix of plants below the trees. Research across Europe has shown how important this is for providing food and cover year-round. We have seen good numbers and sizes of mature broods in areas where we have undertaken grazing or cutting work in recent years. You can watch a video about the work we have carried out at Abernethy here.
Our Capercaillie Advisory officer will continue to support land managers to target this work where it is most effective and help access funding whilst using Abernethy as a demonstration site and welcome visits from other Capercaillie forest managers to share experience.
We also welcome the focus on forest bog restoration, which hens use to get in good condition for breeding in Spring and have undertaken this work for many years at Abernethy. We continue to learn more about the best methods and share this information with other land managers. Stakeholders need to work collaboratively to secure a mix of government and private funding to ensure this work continues at scale.
By 2030, we plan to expand cattle grazing at Abernethy to include over 2000ha of forest, have cut over 400ha of heather, restored an additional 100ha of bog woodland, restructured over 500ha of plantation and expanded the woodland by 200ha.
Robotcut machine, also known as Robocutter, a big remote controlled mower used to break up the dense field layer to benefit Capercaillie. Credit: Richard Mason (rspb-images.com).
Reducing disturbance
Disturbance can cause Capercaillie to avoid up to 40% of the habitat they need to survive. RSPB worked as part of the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project on several targeted projects to reduce disturbance engaging with local dog walkers, mountain bikers and photographers. Such measures require a lot of time and commitment to be successful. Our Capercaillie Advisory officer and rangers will continue to work with land managers and forest user communities providing advice underpinned by data to protect the most important areas whilst providing alternative areas for access. We are pleased to see ongoing commitments to these initiatives.
We would like to see CNPA and NatureScot as access authorities go further and create safe refuges for Capercaillie and provide support for land managers through consistent messaging and rangering to protect lekking Capercaillie, including rogue birds.
Forest management including felling, thinning, track construction, timber extraction and fencing can also disturb Capercaillie and require detailed advice on location and timing based on good knowledge of birds’ usage of forests, particularly as the habitat continueS to change and expand. The commitment to update and promote guidance on forest management for Capercaillie is key as this provides the backbone to the advice provided.
Development can also cause disturbance. RSPB will continue to engage with proposals providing advice and where necessary objecting to reduce impacts.
Capercaillie in forest. Credit: Dave Braddock (rspb-images.com).
Predators and diversionary feeding
Both the impact of predators and predator control in conservation are understandably emotive subjects. Predation impacts on species of conservation concern are complex, affected by habitat quality, fragmentation, availability of other prey and interactions with other predators. While some studies have shown that very intensive predator control will benefit woodland grouse, such intensive effort is rarely sustainable, particularly over a large area and long-time scales. Large sums of money have been spent during previous projects on predator control whilst the species continues to decline. The emergency plan offers a more sustainable solution of diversionary feeding combined with creation of good quality habitat. Work by the University of Aberdeen in partnership with Cairngorms Connect has allowed this technique to be successfully tested.
Much of the evidence for fox and crow predation impacts on Capercaillie comes from studies that are more than 20 years old. Since then, the predator community in the Cairngorms has continued its recovery – often from the impact of significant and sustained persecution by humans – and the suite of predator species present now is far more diverse than 20 to 30 years ago.
RSPB Scotland’s vision for Abernethy is a forest with a sustainable Capercaillie population in the presence of a more naturally functioning assortment of predators that includes Wildcats, Pine martens, Badgers, Foxes, Goshawks and Eagles and in the future, missing and under-represented species. Capercaillie numbers have been increasing at Abernethy since stopping predator control in 2018.
We are undertaking annual diversionary feeding across 2500 hectares and will continue this through to 2030. It has been encouraging to see uptake across Deeside land managers including our Crannach reserve.
Research and monitoring
It is reassuring to see that monitoring and evaluation of success of interventions are interwoven with delivery to ensure we have the information to know what is and is not working.
RSPB Scotland coordinates lek monitoring across the Capercaillie range, including carrying out cold searching of areas to inform targeted lek monitoring and winter occupancy surveys. We have supported work to refine new monitoring methods, by collecting genetic material to improve accuracy of lek monitoring methods and by trialling the use of trail cameras at dust baths to monitor productivity and will continue to trial these with partners.
We are disappointed that there is no mention of the National Capercaillie survey, usually carried out by RSPB Scotland (and funded by NatureScot, CNPA, Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland) every 6 years using an agreed winter transect method across the species range, information from this is essential. An updated population figure can be compared to the 2021/22 figure and give a good indication of the overall success of the plan.
Top down shot of an opening in forest, RSPB Abernethy Nature Reserve. Credit: Sam Turley (rspb-images.com).
Looking forward
Whilst we understand the need to target measures in the Cairngorms where 85% of the population remain, all sub-populations are biologically significant. We are particularly keen that work continues to protect Capercaillie in Special Protection Areas (SPAs) outside the Cairngorms. This will be key for long-term population survival and for fulfilling the regulatory function of the SPA network. RSPB Scotland will continue to monitor and provide conservation advice to these areas and we hope that public funding will still be available to support habitat work here for example cattle grazing.
RSPB will continue to collect and collate good data to underpin the Emergency Plan and contribute to research as part of the Scientific Advisory Group. Research on the impacts of disturbance and roll out of practical solutions continues to be a priority for us so birds can maximise the use of good quality habitat available, this will include working with various forest user groups and land managers. The impact of disease from released gamebirds close to Capercaillie forests highlighted in the plan is a concern. We welcome the inclusion of a feasibility study to fully investigate translocation. Low survival rates of released Capercaillie across Europe means it is crucial to deliver measures to create the best possible conditions to protect and enhance the existing population.
Scottish Government incentives play a vital role in supporting conservation efforts for this high priority species as highlighted by the Natural Environment Bill. NatureScot, CNPA, Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland are committing to Capercaillie by being responsible for delivery of the emergency plan.
The habitat management proposed has benefits for other birds, insects and plants and it is important that these continue to be supported by public money in the next Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme due to start in 2026. The commitment to delivering Biodiversity Enhancement via the planning system through developers contributing to conservation projects also provides an opportunity to fund Capercaillie work. We look forward to seeing how this is developed in the next Cairngorms Local Development plan. RSPB Scotland will continue to fundraise for Capercaillie work on and off our reserves and we’d particularly like to thank the Friends of Capercaillie who have supported this work for over 20 years. We look forward to providing future updates on how the plan is delivering for Capercaillie.