RSPB Scotland has acquired 33 hectares of land near Nethy Bridge to expand its Abernethy nature reserve, aiming to boost cattle grazing that could help save one of Britain's most endangered bird species. The land purchase at Lower Dell will support conservation efforts for the capercaillie, with just over 500 birds remaining in the UK and facing extinction risk.
The expansion comes as the 14,000-hectare reserve celebrates its 50th anniversary. The new land borders the current reserve boundary and will enable increased cattle grazing, which ecologists say is crucial for habitat restoration.
How cattle grazing helps endangered birds
Ben Oliver-Jones, senior site manager at RSPB Abernethy, explained the ecological strategy: «Cattle in the forest replicate the grazing behaviour of extinct herbivores such as aurochs and improve conditions for birds such as capercaillie and black grouse.»
The cattle promote blaeberry growth, a vital food source for adult capercaillies. Their grazing also breaks up thick heather, making it easier for vulnerable chicks to move through undergrowth and stay close to their mothers during wet spring periods.
Young capercaillie chicks rely heavily on insects that feed on blaeberry plants in their first weeks of life. The grazing creates conditions that support both the plants and the insect populations.
GPS technology enables grazing without fences
The reserve uses innovative No-Fence GPS collars to manage cattle herds without traditional fencing. Oliver-Jones said: «Crucially, the use of No-Fence GPS collars on our cattle allows us to manage herds without the need for costly and intrusive fencing in the forest.»
He added: «The purchase of the land at Lower Dell will help us bring more cattle into the forest by making it easier for graziers to manage herds moving in and out of the area.»
The senior site manager emphasized the importance of local partnerships: «Cattle grazing across a range of habitats at Abernethy is central to our vision for ecological restoration and it wouldn't be possible without local graziers, who bring cattle to the reserve.»
Reserve's conservation legacy
The Abernethy reserve has played a significant role in UK wildlife conservation since RSPB Scotland acquired Loch Garten and surrounding woodland in 1975. The site became famous for ospreys, which naturally recolonized from Scandinavia in 1954 after going extinct in Britain in 1916.
Today, as many as 400 breeding pairs of ospreys return to the UK annually from their wintering grounds in West Africa.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
