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February 14, 2026
‘We are hopeful’: small signs of recovery for Scotland’s rare capercaillie bird
Number of males at RSPB Abernethy rises to 30, after ‘huge amount of work’ by conservationists in Highlands forests
TL;DR
- Capercaillie populations in the Scottish Highlands have shown a 50% increase at RSPB Abernethy, from 20 males in 2020 to 30 in 2025.
- This rise offers hope for the species, whose numbers have significantly declined from over 20,000 in the 1970s to 532 in the wild.
- Conservation efforts include using a remote-controlled mower to manage heather and promote blaeberry growth, a vital food source, and employing virtual fence collars on cattle for controlled grazing.
- Threats to the capercaillie include wetter weather, habitat loss, increased predation, collisions with deer fences, human disturbance, and potentially low genetic diversity.
- Conservation manager Richard Mason expressed hope that these techniques can support the capercaillie's recovery in Scotland, emphasizing the need for continued work across all capercaillie sites.
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