The capercaillie is one of Scotland's most threatened birds, with human disturbance at leks and nesting sites representing a critical welfare and conservation concern.
Capercaillie disturbed at leks experience acute stress and may abandon reproductive activities entirely, resulting in zero breeding success for the affected lek. Flushed females with chicks risk losing contact with broods, exposing chicks to cold and predation. Dogs chasing capercaillie cause physical injury and death. The extremely small population means welfare impacts on individual birds have disproportionate conservation significance.