Capercaillie could become extinct in Scotland once again after gamekeepers warned this year saw an almost ten per cent drop in male birds at lek sites - breeding grounds for the species.
The capercaillie is a ground-nesting bird that, with just over 500 left in the wild, is in danger of extinction in the UK. One contributor to its decline is the eating of eggs and chicks by predators including another protected species, the pine marten.
Only 153 male birds were recorded at leks in key forests this year, 15 less than this time last year, according to research from the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA).
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