Capercaillie
Tetrao urogallusLinnaeus, 1758
Order Galliformes
Family Tetraonidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Endangered EN B-1, BDA-II; International: BD-I,BeC-III.
General distribution. A Palearctic species whose area is sharply split and divided into 3 parts: Pyrenean, the Alpine-Balkan-Carpatian and Scandinavian-Siberian. The natural area embraces: Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Byelorussia, the Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Northern Greece. In the Eastern Palearctic its area is whole and reaches Siberia, Altai in Russia and Mongolia. It has been introduced in Scotland.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. Resident. It was found in three major regions: the Rila-Pirin-Rhodope mountains (the largest one), the Western Balkans and the Vitosha region (the smallest one) [1]. The scanty population (20 individuals in 1965) of Vitosha mountain is most probably already extinct [1]. At present it is breeding in the Western Balkan range, the mountains Rila and Western Rhodopes, with declining numbers. In 1984, the total numbers in the country were 2 037 individuals [2], according to other estimates they were 500-800 [3] and even 2 000 breeding pairs [4].
Habitats. In the southern periphery of the area, in which Bulgaria is also located, it inhabits coniferous and mixed forests in the mountains. It prefers old forest massifs [5]. In the past it also inhabited the forest hilly landscapes.
Biology. A polygamous species breeding on the ground. It usually lays 6-9 eggs that the female incubates for about 26 days. It feeds on insects, fresh buds and leaves, mainly leaves of coniferous trees [6], predominantly Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris).
Similar species. The Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix).
Negative factors. Sports hunting; loss and degradation of the habitats because of wood production, fires, etc.; disordered sexual ratios as a result of the selective shooting of male individuals because of their trophy value; restricted area, disturbance during wood production, construction in the mountains, etc.; import of grouses of a foreign origin.
Conservation measures taken. Included in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria (1985). The species is under a preservation regime and regulated use by nature. There is a ban on shooting males from 15 April to 15 May (Decree of the Council of Ministers No 151/13.06.2001). About half of the habitats are in Protected Territories.
Conservation measures needed. Placing the species under full protection; ban on hunting and the import of grouses of a foreign origin; unprotected habitats must be included in Protected Natural Territories; artificial breeding; restoration of the species in regions with former habitats.
References. 1. Boev et al., in press; 2. Simeonov et al., 1990; 3. Kostadinova, 1997; 4. Nankinov et al., 2004; 5. Boev, 1985, 6. Boev, 1962.
Author: Zlatozar Boev, Stoyan Nikolov
