Technicians from the LIFE+ project for the protection of the capercaillie in Poland visit this week the actions of the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment.

The Cantabrian mountain range is the starting point for the exchange of experiences between technicians from both European initiatives in order to share knowledge and actions that will promote the recovery of one of the most endangered species in Poland and Spain.
 
The capercaillie is going through a critical situation in both territories. In Poland, its population fell from 2,500 individuals at the beginning of the 20th century to 380-500 individuals today. In the case of the Cantabrian subspecies, it has disappeared from 70% of the places it occupied just three decades ago and it is estimated that the population does not reach 500 specimens.  
 
The Polish technicians, accompanied by the members of the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie, will travel for five days through the Cantabrian mountain range, both the western and eastern slopes, where the capercaillie is in a more critical situation. The visit covers actions in the Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) Vega Liébana (Cantabria), Picos de Europa and Picos de Europa in Castilla y León, Alto Sil and Omaña.
 
They will also visit the breeding center and genetic reserve of the Cantabrian capercaillie in Sobrescobio (Asturias), which houses 22 specimens. During the tour they will also access the release park, in the Picos de Europa SPA in Castilla y León, which allows the specimens to acclimatize before their release. In the Alto Sil SPA, where one of the most important Cantabrian capercaillie population centres is located, they will learn about the actions of the programme for the capture, marking and removal of clutches.
 
Since the beginning of the project, the LIFE+ Cantabrian Capercaillie team has participated in international technical meetings and has welcomed experts from other countries with the aim of learning more about other recovery experiences of the species.
 
The project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, is 50% co-financed by the European Union through the LIFE+ funds, and has as partners the autonomous communities of Cantabria, the Principality of Asturias and Castilla y León, the latter through the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León; the Inter-regional Consortium for the coordinated management of the Picos de Europa National Park; SEO/BirdLife and Tragsa and Tragsatec and with funding from the Autonomous National Parks Agency and the Iberdrola Spain Foundation.