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Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Galliformes Family: Tetraonidae
BTO Codes: CP , CAPER EURING No: 3350
Number in Britain: 2000 individuals (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: RED
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern
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Status in UK: (BC3)  Re-introduced Breeder
Subspecies: urogallus recorded in Britain (of 9 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 74 cm Wingspan: 106 cm Weight: M: 4.3 kg   F: 2 kg    
Scientific name from: Gr.: tetraon=a type of gamebird and German: auerhuhn=mountain cock + L.: gallus=a cock
World Distribution: n&c Europe, n&c Asia
Habitat: Conifer forest
Diet: Summer, dwarf shrubs, sedges (chicks on insects, spiders), Winter, pine shoots and needles
TitBit: Although Capercaillie have always been eaten (their remains occur in prehistoric middens), they have never been classified as Game as they were extinct by the time the Game Act was passed (1831)  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps    (Help with the New Atlas)   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 1284 to 2758 individuals in 2003-04
    First Record: 12th Century [Fossil evidence from Wolstonian (penultimate) glaciation, c. 150,000 yr ago]
    First Breeding Record: Introduced Perthshire (after extinct 1770s) 1837
    Latest Survey: Eaton, M.A. et al. (2007) Bird Study 54:145-153
UK Biodiversity Action Plan (Lead Partner: CEH & RSPB)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 360 to 550 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I,II,III,IX), WBD(I,II*,III*), Bern(II*,III)
Survey Results: BirdTrack
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 57 x 42 mm Egg Weight: 53.0 g (of which 8 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 2
Clutch Size: 7 - 11 eggs
Incubation: 24 - 26 days by the: Female
Fledging: 14 - 21 days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1

Number Ringed: 2
Adult Survival: No data Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: Typical Lifespan: No data
Maximum Recorded Age: 3yr6m   (Sweden: 9yr 4m)
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Biometrics
Ring Size: J* (females), L* (males)
Wing Length Adult: Insufficient Data.
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: Insufficient Data.
Juvenile: Insufficient Data.
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
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Other Names
Western Capercaillie
Gaelic: Capall-coille Welsh:
Danish: Tjur Dutch: Auerhoen
Finnish: Metso; Koppelo French: Grand Tétras
German: Auerhuhn Hungarian: Siketfajd
Icelandic: Žišur Irish: Capall Coille
Italian: Gallo cedrone Norwegian: Storfugl
Polish: Gluszec zwyczajny Portuguese: Tetraz
Spanish: Urogallo Swedish: Tjäder
Collective Noun: Tok
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Storch, I. 2001 BWP Update 3:1-24
   Watson, A. & Moss, R. 2008 Grouse Collins, London [598.543 WAT]
   Harvie-Brown, J.A. 1879 The Capercaillie in Scotland David Douglas, Edinburgh [598.543 HAR]
See Also:
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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BirdWeb logo, click to go to BirdWeb BirdFacts home | BTO Home
Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.22, Oct 2008). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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