Create more habitat for capercaillie

Capercaillie Habitat Grant Scheme

The grant scheme is designed with small landowners in mind, and landowners and managers who want to undertake locally relevant actions to help capercaillie that are not funded through other schemes.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to help cover the cost of machinery, equipment, materials and contractors required to deliver the following actions for capercaillie:

Habitat expansion

• Restructuring woodlands, e.g. removing non-natives
• Controlling invasive species, e.g. braken, to improve the field layer
• Blocking man-made drains with coir to restore forest bogs
• Providing grit piles and exposing bare ground

Reduce disturbance

• Creating brash piles and natural screening along tracks

Reduce mortalities

• Marking fences over 1km from an active lek
• Maintaining fence marking
• Controlling foxes and crows over 1.5km from an active lek

If there are other potential actions to help capercaillie on your land that are not listed, please get in touch as we may be able to accommodate them.