A combination of conservation efforts and public support has led to an excellent breeding season for capercaillie in the Cairngorms National Park.
Counts of the birds have been undertaken by locating the chicks with highly trained pointer dogs at the main capercaillie breeding areas in Strathspey.
The average number of chicks found per hen this year was at or above the minimum required to sustain the population (0.6 chicks per hen).
Numbers and range have declined hugely over the last few decades and the forest of the national park now home to around 80% of the UK population and Strathspey in particular are a vital last refuge.
Declines have been attributed to loss of habitat, forest fence collisions, wet spring and summer weather, predation and human disturbance.
Cairngorms nature officer Justin Prigmore said: “The landowners of these essential caper forests would like to thank everyone who has responded positively to signage in the woods asking people to keep their dogs on a lead during the breeding season and keep to the tracks to avoid disturbance and allow this majestic species the best chance of survival.
“These land managers have been working hard to save capercaillie and it’s great to see that the public are helping play their part as well.”
A new initiative is under way which aims to secure the future of the capercaillie in the Cairngorms National Park.
The Capercaillie Framework pulls together all the information available relating to distribution and productivity, along with the pressures the birds face.
This will then be used to inform decisions about their future conservation management, so that work can be directed to where it is needed most.