Research focused on protecting Scotland's capercaillie population by managing predators through non-lethal means has been shortlisted for a Nature of Scotland Award.
Aimed at shining a light on the great work being done to help Scotland’s species and habitats, the RSPB-led awards highlight the people, projects and businesses driving positive change for the natural world.
The shortlist for the 2025 awards represents a cross-section of businesses, charities, the public sector and individuals working towards conserving the country’s unique wildlife and natural environment.
The partnership project led by Dr Jack Bamber, lecturer in Ecology and Conservation at the University of Aberdeen, has been shortlisted in the Innovation category.
The capercaillie is a ground-nesting bird that, with just over 500 left in the wild, is in danger of extinction in the UK. One contributor to its decline is the eating of eggs and chicks by predators, including another protected species, the pine marten.
Diversionary feeding is a conservation technique designed to reduce predator impacts on vulnerable species without harming the predators themselves. By providing an alternative, easy meal like deer carrion, it gives predators a readily accessible food source so they don’t need to search for rarer food like capercaillie nests in the same area.
Conducted over three years in the Cairngorms, the research found that in areas where alternative food was available, 85% of capercaillie hens detected had chicks, compared to just 37% in unfed sites.
“It's a great honour to have been nominated for this year's Nature of Scotland's Innovation awards. Complex problems need innovation to find new solutions and predator management in Scotland is certainly a complex issue,” said Dr Bamber.
“This project has been a key case study in identifying evidence to support new tools that enable conservation action to take place without compromising broader conservation goals.
“It wouldn't have been possible without the core collaboration between the University of Aberdeen (Professor Xavier Lambin), the University of St Andrews (Dr Chris Sutherland), Forestry and Land Scotland (Kenny Kortland) and the support of multiple partner organisations, including Wildlands Ltd, RSPB, NatureScot and Cairngorms Connect, who all deserve massive thanks for their collaborative efforts in co-producing this research.”
The Awards Ceremony will take place on November 20 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.