Special police patrols to protect endangered Scottish capercaillie

Police have started special patrols to stop people visiting a Scottish national park from disturbing an endangered Scottish bird.

Officers are looking to protect the capercaillie, the largest member of the grouse family, and say they have seen photographers actively searching through forests for them.

Police warned that the birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and that disturbing their mating grounds, known as leks, is a criminal offence.

Constable Daniel Sutherland, a wildlife crime officer for the Highlands and Islands, said: “Capercaillie suffer when they are disturbed, and one thing we can do to help to prevent this is by not searching for them or allowing our dogs to run loose in areas where there are capercaillie and ground nesting birds.

“Disturbing them whilst lekking is a criminal offence and myself and fellow wildlife crime officers have started early morning patrols at key sites to prevent and detect disturbance.”

As part of the #LekItBe campaign, officers have teamed up with wildlife guides, rangers and land managers to carry out patrols on sensitive pathed areas where lekking takes place while CCTV is also in place to protect lekking sites.