With its impressive size, striking plumage, and captivating displays, spotting a capercaillie is a dream for many birdwatchers. However, only about 530 of these large woodland grouse remain in the wild in Scotland, primarily in the Cairngorms National Park.

Efforts to protect the species from extinction have become a delicate balancing act between raising awareness of their plight and discouraging people from actively seeking them out.

Though it is illegal to disturb capercaillie during their breeding season (March to August), many birdwatchers and photographers still venture close, hoping for a prestigious sighting or photograph.

In 2022, 17 individuals were found near the birds’ “lek” – a gathering spot where males display to attract females – says Carolyn Robertson, project manager of the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project. That same year, a birdwatcher was filmed flushing six capercaillie from a breeding site. Although the man received only a verbal warning, the disturbance may have already caused significant harm.

Even fleeting disruption can “make the difference between birds breeding, or not,” says Robertson. “We know that it increases their stress levels, so there’s a high chance they didn’t come back to the area to breed that morning; they might not have returned for days.”

Given the critically low population, human interference can be “catastrophic” for capercaillie survival, according to Robertson.

“When people have taken photographs of capercaillie and put them online, they’ve been liked thousands of times. By the time we ask them to take them down, it’s got them so much kudos, they don’t want to do so.”

But deterring nature enthusiasts has been a difficult task, particularly with the rise of social media, which now poses an increasing threat to vulnerable species and ecosystems worldwide.

Robert Davis, a senior lecturer in wildlife ecology at Edith Cowan University in Australia and lead author of the study, explains that the research stemmed from collective frustration at seeing pristine habitats and rare species harmed by visitors.

“There’s actually probably never been a time in human history where you can share information so rapidly to so many people, and with that has come this immense pressure to systems,” he says.

For example, the critically endangered blue-crowned laughingthrush in Jiangxi province, China, is thought to have altered its nesting habits due to severe disturbance from wildlife photographers.

In 2022, the arrival of hordes of photographers in Shetland, hoping to glimpse a lanceolated warbler, potentially drove the bird away.

Similarly, this August, a photographer was fined over £1,600 for disturbing a nesting European honey buzzard in Wales.

Davis points out that online attention has been particularly problematic for endemic orchids in Western Australia, where he and his biologist wife, Belinda, live.

“You can track it on social media, more and more pictures being put up of the same plant,” he says.

Some species, such as the Queen of Sheba orchid – which takes a decade to bloom and is native to a small area in south-west Western Australia – are so prized that wild plants have had to be protected.

“They’ve had to fence that orchid, put cameras on it and have guardians for it,” says Davis. “That really exemplifies the extreme end.”

Davis acknowledges that asking people not to seek out or post about vulnerable species often meets resistance.

“You get a lot of pushback from people saying: ‘Why are you the gatekeeper? Everyone has a right to see this – what’s the harm in just one person?’.”

“When something’s that rare, you could single-handedly push it to extinction.”

While the impact of social media may be minor compared to broader threats like habitat loss, it exacerbates the problem by amplifying human disturbance.

“Ultimately, it fuels demand: the rarer something is, the more people want to see it.”

This conflict between conservation efforts and the desire to witness rare species before they disappear is becoming more pronounced.

James Lowen, a natural history writer from Norfolk, notes that standards among nature enthusiasts have declined, perhaps due to the ease of capturing and sharing photos online.

“There are now more people whose hobby is wildlife photography, rather than wildlife watching, and I suspect that they have not been brought up with the same attention to ethics and fieldcraft.”

The resurgence of rare species like the Norfolk snout moth and the ghost orchid has excited enthusiasts, but precise locations are kept secret to prevent further harm.

“It’s a really tight balance to walk: social media is great for drawing people’s attention, but there needs to be a level of discretion.”

Lowen even removed capercaillie from the latest edition of his book, 52 Wild Weekends, to acknowledge the impact of human interference on the species’ breeding success.

“We all want to see capercaillie, and to see them display – they are remarkable creatures … but absolutely, birders should stay away.”

The Cairngorms Capercaillie Project has taken a proactive approach by leveraging social media for conservation. In 2022, the project launched the “Lek It Be” campaign, urging people to avoid seeking out or photographing capercaillie. The campaign has already shown positive results, with a 55% reduction in birders, photographers, and guided groups observed near lek sites this season.

While the birdwatching community has generally supported the initiative, photographers have been less responsive, likely due to differing motivations.

“Birders will talk about it, and tick a list … but [photographers] need that output, the shot – that’s what they’re there for,” she says.

To discourage further disturbance, the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project even shared a video last year showing two men searching for capercaillie near a lek.

Robertson emphasises that the intent wasn’t to publicly shame the individuals but rather to highlight the importance of respecting the birds’ habitat and breeding season.

The situation reflects a growing tension between the desire to appreciate nature and the responsibility to protect it. In the age of social media, conservation efforts must navigate the fine line between raising awareness and inadvertently putting vulnerable species at risk.

As human activity continues to threaten biodiversity, projects like “Lek It Be” aim to find a balance that protects rare species while fostering a deeper understanding of the need for their conservation.

 

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