THE endangered capercaillie has been breeding successfully in the Cairngorms National Park where 80 per cent of its UK population is now found.

Highly trained pointer dogs have been used to find chicks in the park in the annual assessment of the breeding season. This has just been completed for 2014 and conservationists say the results are looking good.

Counts of birds at the main capercaillie breeding areas in Strathspey, have found the average number of chicks per hen this year was at or above the minimum required to sustain the population, 0.6 chicks.

Numbers and range have declined hugely over the last few decades and the forest of the national park and Strathspey in particular are seen as a vital last refuge. Declines have been attributed to loss of habitat, forest fence collisions, wet spring and summer weather, predation and human disturbance.

Justin Prigmore, Cairngorms nature officer at the Cairngorms National Park Authority said: "The landowners of these forests would like to thank everyone who has responded positively to signage asking people to keep their dogs on a lead during the breeding season and keep to the tracks to avoid disturbance."

The Capercaillie Framework is a new initiative which aims to secure the future of the species by pulling together information relating to its distribution and productivity, the pressures it faces and the current management measures being undertaken.