New figures have shown a big slump in the population of one of Scotland’s most iconic birds – the capercaillie.
Numbers fell by 45% between 1994 and 2012, with an 8% drop in the final 12 months alone, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said yesterday.
Capercaillie declines have been linked to losses of suitable habitat, predation, weather conditions during chick-rearing, and disturbance.
The birds have already been reported to be perilously close to extinction, with Scotland’s only remaining viable breeding populations in Badenoch and Strathspey.
A study in 2009, using cameras at 20 sites, showed predators destroying 65% of capercaillie nests in Abernethy Forest. Of those destroyed, 57% were done by pine marten, which – like capercaillies – are legally protected but significantly more numerous.
Cuckoo numbers are also showing long-term decline, SNH said yesterday.
The conservation body’s figures are based on data from the British Trust for Ornithology, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Other species suffering between 1994 and 2012 included lapwings, kestrels and greenfinches, which SNH said was possibly due to changes in land use, predation or disease.
Among upland birds, ravens, cuckoos and snipes all saw their numbers grow but curlews, dotterels and common sandpipers suffered declines.
Farmland species which grew in number included goldfinches and yellowhammers, while whitethroats and sedge warblers – both migratory species – also saw their populations grow.
Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “Scotland has a vast range of beautiful wildlife, including many different species of terrestrial breeding birds, and the increases highlighted in this report are very encouraging, although we recognise there is much still to do.”
Mr Wheelhouse said the Scottish Government and SNH had taken action to protect bird habitats through a rural development programme.
“Boosting the rate of woodland creation will benefit woodland birds and help develop green networks across the country,” he added.