Then there were five – capercaillie face wipe out

CAPERCAILLIE are on the brink of extinction in a crucial Scottish habitat, where just five of the spectacular birds are clinging on to survival.

• The colourful capercaillie that live by Loch Lomond are under threat. Picture: TSPL

All five birds in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park live on a cluster of tiny islands at the western edge of the loch. There are fears that unless urgent action is taken to protect them, they will be wiped out from the area.

Capercaillie, which are known for their spectacular mating dance, or lek, used to thrive all over the national park and were even once hunted for sport.

However, a new survey has revealed just five now remain, down from 32 a decade ago, on the cluster of islands nearest Luss, which include Inchconnachan and Inchmoan.

It is thought the drop is due to a combination of factors, including disturbance from visitors and dogs. The park's natural heritage manager, Alan Bell, said capercaillie do not survive well in areas frequented by humans.

So now visitors are being asked not to take dogs to the islands, and to stick to the shorelines rather than venturing inland during the breeding season. "The islands are very heavily visited every year," he said. "You get hundreds of boats going to the islands and some people set up camp for weeks on end, and even leave their dogs to run around while they go on day trips. We need to get people to sympathise with what we are trying to do."

Other problems for the capercaillie are caused by crows stealing eggs and young chicks from nests, and a lack of suitable habitat and food. It is also thought climate change might be leading to wetter summers that leave newly-hatched chicks struggling to survive. They can easily succumb to hypothermia when the weather is too wet and cold.

Experts have been trying to boost food availability for chicks. They thrive on caterpillars that eat blaeberry, so thick bracken has been cleared to make room for more of the shrub to grow.

Drainage areas have been blocked to create boggy land, which also encourages blaeberry growth. And a cull of crows, mink and grey squirrels is being carried out. Scottish Natural Heritage area officer Alan McDonnell said it was crucial to extend the habitat for the birds so they could join up with more northerly populations. "The Loch Lomond population has been isolated for many years. We are trying to create habitat corridors."

The park is the most south-westerly habitat for capercaillie in Scotland. The site is designated a Special Protection Area under a European Commission directive.