Capercaillie Emergency Plan 2025 - 2030 - Flipbook - Page 36
6. Reducing disturbance
Reducing disturbance
Disturbance can have severe consequences for capercaillie, physically deterring the
birds from mating and causing eggs to chill if left unattended when birds are
disturbed. Chicks separated from their mother become more vulnerable to
hypothermia and predation and human presence raises stress hormone levels in
capercaillie. This can lead to chronic stress in the case of repeated disturbance,
which affects growth, body condition, immune function, reproduction and survival.
Our activities also influence the distribution of capercaillie, with Scottish studies
showing that disturbance causes the birds to avoid up to 40% of the habitat they
need to survive.
The Cairngorms Capercaillie Project has been primarily focused on reducing
disturbance to capercaillie and developing truly participatory and community-led
solutions to the issue. These solutions have resulted in outcomes including reduced
disturbance by mountain biking activity over 450 hectares of core capercaillie
habitat: 55% less birdwatchers and photographers looking for capercaillie during
the 2024 breeding season; a 200% increase in commercial operators choosing not
to guide for capercaillie; and more dogs being walked on a lead in response to pilot
work with dog walkers in Boat of Garten woods. Capercaillie in the woods were
recorded lekking until midday during the pilot. Previously, they would typically
finish lekking up to 3 hours earlier because of disturbance.
It is an action in the National Park Partnership Plan and Active Cairngorms Action
Plan to upscale the work delivered by the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project and
consider all potential mechanisms to reduce disturbance on key species in
particular locations at certain times of year. Figure 2 on page 38 outlines those
locations, which including core capercaillie areas.
Objective
Reduce recreational disturbance in the priority areas relevant to capercaillie
outlined in the Active Cairngorms Action Plan (2024 Ð 2028).
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