Directions in active protection of capercaillie in Poland. Part I. History and present state

The number of capercaillie in its entire range of distribution is declining. Its population n Europe (without Russia) amounts to about 580 thousand individuals including 500 thousand in Scandinavia. In Poland, 480−600 capercaillies live in 4 isolated populations. The major reason of the declining abundances of capercaillie can be seen in altered forest biotopes and their isolated distribution, widespread predation, noisy behaviour of people, disturbances in population structure, or extinction of isolated populations. Protective measures in the European countries concentrate on active protection of natural populations, capercaillie restoration and research−based education, computer simulations of the survival of this species and a long−term monitoring system. The projects for restoration of domesticated birds developed in the Czech Republic and Germany appeared unsuccessful. The mortality of released individuals was greater than 90%. Poland lacks both an integrated research programme and a long−term monitoring of capercaillie. Legal regulations in force and national directives concerning the principles of capercaillie protection are not uniformly and efficiently implemented in practice. Currently, breeding of birds for reintroduction is held in the Leżajsk and Wisła Forest Districts