Capercaillie chick welfare during the critical first weeks of life determines breeding success and population productivity. Advanced monitoring of brood welfare informs habitat management priorities.
Capercaillie chicks in cold, wet summers face welfare emergencies from hypothermia and starvation when invertebrate prey is reduced by poor weather. The small size of the UK capercaillie population means each chick's welfare and survival is critical for population viability. Conservation management creating diverse, invertebrate-rich ground vegetation in key brood-rearing areas directly improves chick welfare and breeding success.