The Scottish capercaillie is indeed impressive. The male is a large dark turkey-like bird, weighing over four kilos. He has a long broad tail and distinctive beak. The female is much smaller and less than half the weight. She is brownish with dark flecks, ideally camouflaged for incubating eggs and looking after the young. Across her chest is a lighter band of chestnut. At first glance it is hard to believe the cock and hen birds belong to the same species, such is the difference in size and appearance. (See Island Miniatures for May)
In early May the hen lays five to eight eggs in a shallow scrape in the forest floor. The eggs are attractive: pale yellowish buff, with fine speckling sparse brown blotches. Only the female incubates. By early June the eggs have hatched and the downy chicks leave the nest shortly afterwards. If feeding is good, growth is rapid, and after a few weeks the youngsters' wings are feathered.
The current status of the capercaillie in Scotland is precarious to say the least. But the omens are good. It is a vulnerable bird and in some cold and wet summers chick mortality is high. But over over time this will balance out with surpluses produced in other years.
All pictures on this page are by Jim of Grantown-on-Spey.
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