Skip navigation

Black grouse BAP report

Male black grouse on lek at RSPB Corrimony nature reserve

What are we trying to achieve?

The Government agreed a Biodiversity Action Plan for this species in 1999. The targets for this plan were revised in 2006 and are as follows:

  • Increase the population of black grouse to 4520 lekking males by 2010
  • Restore the range of black grouse to 300 occupied 10 km squares by 2010 This species has declined considerably both in numbers and range, due to a number of factors causing habitat loss and reducing breeding success and/or adult survival. The RSPB is Joint Lead Partner with the Game Conservancy Trust (GCT) and has been actively working to restore black grouse populations both on our reserves and in the wider countryside.

What is the RSPB doing to help?

Work continues to understand the factors affecting numbers and range, and to determine the management changes required, through recovery projects, trial management, monitoring and research.

In core areas of the black grouse population, we are involved with partnership recovery projects with a range of statutory and NGO partners. These include major habitat management restoration in Wales, and advisory officers in Scotland and the North Pennines to draw up forest and farm management plans and to advise landowners on what measures to take.

On our reserves, we are reducing grazing, creating wet flushes by blocking grip drains, establishing deciduous/native pine woodland where appropriate, reducing fox and crow predation where essential and have removed most of the deer fences. Elsewhere, we are working with others to influence agricultural, forestry and deer management policies to provide incentives to landowners to manage habitats in ways that will support black grouse.

During 2006, we:

  • Continued to trial grazing management at Abernethy Forest and Corrimony RSPB nature reserves
  • Continued our support for partnership recovery projects in the North Pennines and Wales; and work in the Galloway Forest and Argyll and Bute. We advised farmers in North and East Scotland on management for black grouse
  • In Wales, continued Aren't Welsh Birds Brilliant!, with black grouse as one of the key species
  • Completed a full lek survey for England
  • Monitored leks and productivity on our most important reserves for black grouse
  • Contributed to lek monitoring in central Scotland, Strathspey and Tayside
  • Continued a study to assess how black grouse numbers in Scotland have changed in relation to changes in habitat
  • Responded to forestry applications, wind farm proposals and other developments that would have adversely affected black grouse
  • Maintained Black Grouse UK website (see link on this page) on behalf of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Targeted publicity at forestry, deer and farm managers through professional magazines and journals

Summary of progress

A full lek survey for England in 2006 returned a population of 1029 lekking males. However, the results of the 2005 national survey show that the UK population of black grouse continues to decline. Fewer than 5100 lekking males were recorded – a 22% reduction since the last survey in 1995/6.

Overall, progress against the BAP targets is good in England and Wales (thanks to dedicated recovery projects), but remains poor in Scotland, which holds the bulk (66%) of the population. The steepest declines occurred in Scotland, where numbers dropped by 29%. The small population in Wales increased by 39%; in England, numbers were stable.

Targeted management work in Wales included a reduction in the density of trees around the edges of conifer plantations and the creation of wet flushes across large areas providing the right conditions for insects that the chicks feed on.

The results of the 2005 national survey show that the UK population of black grouse continues to decline

Reducing the intensity of grazing by sheep, coupled with reductions in the risk of predation, are believed to have contributed to the stability of the North Pennines population, which stood at 831 lekking males in 2006.

In Scotland, the population in Perthshire, Grampian and Speyside appears largely stable, but steep declines were recorded in the southeast (-69%) and southwest (-49%).

Black grouse leks were again recorded on six RSPB reserves in 2006, with increased numbers of lekking males on four of these reserves.

Has our work been effective?

There is a strong correlation between management work undertaken in Wales and the recovery in number of lekking males.

We believe that the recovery project in England has also been responsible for turning the population around.

Our work in Scotland will become increasingly important with the initiation of large-scale management trials in association with Forestry Commission Scotland.

Through the recovery projects, large areas of land have been brought into management that should be more favourable to black grouse in the medium to long term, either through direct habitat management or through agri-environment schemes. However, there is still much to understand about the quality of the optimal habitat before we can be sure of delivering the scale of management needed to halt the overall decline.

What do we plan to do next?

We plan to maintain an enhanced level of work for black grouse, focusing on specific recovery projects, large-scale trial management in association with forestry in Scotland and key nature reserves.

At the same time we will seek to ensure that agriculture, forestry and deer management policies provide for the needs of black grouse.
Specifically, we will:

  • Maintain input to recovery projects
  • Develop large-scale trial management work in Scotland in association with Forestry Commission Scotland
  • Continue reserve management for this species and trial management aimed at enhancing productivity/chick survival, particularly at Abernethy and Corrimony
  • Continue research into the response of black grouse to management and the factors affecting numbers and range
  • Make assessments of black grouse as a cited species in SSSI designations, with advocacy to statutory agencies to increase coverage and thus release management resources to land managers
  • Press for England and Wales forestry grant schemes to target BAP priority species and include prescriptions for black grouse
  • Press for inclusion of black grouse in regional and country forestry strategies under development or review
  • Continue casework commenting on state and private Forest Design Plans to ensure proper consideration of black grouse in the planned layout and type of felling in large-scale forests
  • Supply regional population data to the UK BAP database, to enhance monitoring
  • Maintain pressure on agriculture departments to promote prescriptions for black grouse and to increase funding for agri-environment schemes, especially in Scotland
  • Complete a full survey of key areas in Wales 

What are the constraints to fully achieving the targets?

The constraints are:

  • Limited budgets for agri-environment schemes in Scotland and Wales, preventing the targeting of management that would benefit black grouse in key areas and, in all countries, a lack of the flexibility needed to encourage shepherding and mixed livestock/arable systems
  • Lack of understanding of all the factors that drive declines, including grazing levels and shooting
  • Insufficient incentives for private forestry managers to achieve habitat mosaics

Acknowledgements

The RSPB has worked closely with a number of individuals and organisations during the year to further the conservation of black grouse, in particular:

  • North Pennines: Defra, Natural England, Game Conservancy Trust, Ministry of Defence, Northumbrian Water
  • Wales: Countryside Council for Wales, Forest Commission Wales, National Assembly for Wales and Tilhill Forestry
  • Scotland: Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Power and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

We are also grateful to the many individual, private landowners who have helped black grouse during the year.

 

Last modified: 29 August 2007