Habitat restoration leads to Black Grouse population increase

Rewilding efforts in part of the Scottish Highlands have led to Black Grouse numbers reaching their highest level for 17 years.

A study in the Affric Highlands near Inverness has found numbers are recovering well at sites where restoration of native woods, peatlands and wetlands is being carried out on a large scale.

The Affric Highlands and RSPB Scotland study involved trained volunteers counting the numbers of males going to leks at 14 locations between April and May this year. The team recorded 405 lekking males, up from 378 the last time the survey was done in 2021, and up from the 250 recorded in 2007.

Populations of Black Grousein parts of Highland have shown signs of an increase (Angus Thomson).

Cause for optimism

In Britain, habitat loss and overgrazing have resulted in a decline in numbers and range, making Black Grouse a Red-Listed species.

The findings in Scotland have been described by Affric Highlands field officer Nicola Williamson as a "cause for optimism".

Although there was an overall rise, the team found the numbers of lekking Black Grouse males have risen or declined at different sites due to changes in available habitat.

Land management

Simon McLaughlin, RSPB site manager, said: "The support from local volunteers, estates and other organisations this year has inspired optimism that these birds will be well looked after into the future.

"We hope we will see even more of this community involvement going forward and to continue working together to implement measures to safeguard this amazing species."

The project now wants to confirm if the upward trend in bird numbers is steady by using more surveys. It will be running training sessions from this autumn for next year's season of Black Grouse surveys.

Conservation projects

The last UK-wide survey of Black Grouse was carried out in 2005, and it estimated the overall population at 5,100 males, with 3,400 in Scotland, 1,500 in England and 200 in Wales.

Plans to reintroduce Black Grouse to Sussex have recently been announced, with a feasibility report being drawn up to establish if the species could be released at Ashdown Forest. 

In Belgium, a programme that aims to restore the country’s tiny and threatened population of Black Grouse has shown early signs of success.