Specialists in forest management, predation and population models have positively evaluated the different actions carried out within the framework of the LIFE+ Cantabrian capercaillie project. The results of the technical reports on habitat management, predator control and removal of clutches, commissioned by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, have been presented at the last meeting of the scientific committee held in León.
 
On the one hand, the University of Valladolid has found that most of the habitat management actions carried out have met the objectives aimed at improving and preserving the environment of this emblematic bird in danger of extinction.

The most marked positive effects can be seen in the egg whites in the Scots pine forests of Alto Sil and in the resalveos on oak stems. Both treatments have led to the entry of light into the undergrowth with “very positive” effects on the development of shrubs such as blueberry, key in the diet of the Cantabrian capercaillie.
 
During the scientific committee, the technical report of the Spanish Society for the Conservation and Study of Mammals (SECEM) on the predator control actions developed within the framework of the project was also presented. Among its conclusions, it is recommended to act in the release area of captive-bred specimens.  In the presentation of the results of the evaluation, it was also recommended not to act on predators in a generalized way and in large areas because it is clearly inefficient and to make a detailed assessment before its realization in good breeding areas to help increase the survival rate of the chicks.

The results of the technical report of the “Forest Technology Centre of Catalonia” were also announced, which has evaluated the impact that the removal of capercaillie clutches would have to reinforce the captive stock of the Cantabrian capercaillie breeding center and release specimens from the natural environment. The effect of completely or partially removing a maximum of 10 clutches for 5 or 10 years, respectively, is minimal on the viability of the wild population under the current circumstances. These actions must be accompanied by effective habitat management and the release of a large number of captive-bred specimens, which allows for improved reproduction and survival rates of the species.
 
At the meeting of the scientific committee, the captive breeding campaign was also planned for this year and the procedures used in other captive breeding centres were compared, such as that of the yellow-tailed pigeon in the Canary Islands, that of the imperial eagle in Toledo or that of the Avifauna centre in Lugo. Currently, the breeding center and genetic reserve of the Cantabrian capercaillie, located in Sobrescobio (Asturias), has 16 specimens. In 2015, the breeding campaign concluded with five new juveniles, which have made it possible to strengthen the number of breeding animals for the current season.