The capercaillie is Scotland's largest native bird and one of its most threatened, with a population of only around 500 birds facing welfare challenges from predation, disturbance, and habitat quality.
Capercaillie welfare is shaped by the fragility of a tiny population in which every individual matters. With only around 500 birds remaining, the welfare of individual birds - each potential breeding female, each successfully reared chick - has direct demographic significance. Disturbance at lek sites during the breeding season causes breeding failure for individual birds and aggregates to population-level impact. Predator management around known breeding areas, deer fence marking to prevent collision mortality, and strict access controls during sensitive periods are all welfare-positive interventions at this critical population size.