Police protecting capercaillie birds during peak mating season

Members of the public are being urged not to disturb capercaillie during peak mating season.

Wildlife Crime Officers are continuing work to detect and prevent the disturbing of the bird population as the mating season gets under way.

Lekking sees male capercaillie perform competitive displays of courtship prior to breeding.

Disturbing capercaillie during this period is a criminal offence and officers are urging the public to take care in rural areas.

Dogs should not be allowed to run loose in areas where there are capercaillie and ground nesting birds and photographers are urged not to disturb the species.

Capercaillie is Scotland's most endangered bird — Capercaillie is Scotland’s most endangered bird iStock

It comes as land managers across the Cairngorms National Park continue their efforts to increase the capercaillie population.

Constable Daniel Sutherland, Wildlife Crime Officer for Highlands and Islands, said: “Capercaillie suffer when they are disturbed, and one thing we can do to help to prevent this is by not searching for them or allowing our dogs to run loose in areas where there are capercaillie and ground nesting birds.

“In recent years we continue to see wildlife photographers searching for capercaillie. Capercaillie are protected under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

“Disturbing them whilst lekking is a criminal offence and myself and fellow Wildlife Crime Officers have started early morning patrols at key sites to prevent and detect disturbance.”

As part of the #LekItBe campaign led by the Cairngorms Capercaillie project, officers have teamed up with wildlife guides, rangers and land managers to carry out patrols on sensitive pathed areas where lekking takes place.

The public have a role to help protect these rare and endangered birds by adhering to local signage and following the ‘caper friendly’ routes in place. CCTV is also in place to protect lekking sites and Police Scotland is committed to preventing wildlife crime.

If you see capercaillie being disturbed, Police Scotland have urged people to contact them on 101.

For more information follow the campaign using #LekItBe.