It has been described as the fastest declining bird in the UK.

The Black Grouse, are in decline across many parts of the UK, and are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of threatened species.

A study last year of 121 black grouse breeding sites by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust found the population had declined to the point where the species is a high conservation concern and action was needed to halt their decline.

Two thirds of remaining black grouse in the UK are found in Scotland where they are usually found in nearly moorland, young forests and broadleaf woodland.

The study found that the bird is under huge pressure in the south-west of Scotland, where the number of male birds at the studied sites stood at 70 in 1989, but had declined to zero by 2018.

In south-east Scotland, the decline of male birds in the same period went from 320 to 44.

Now moves are beign made to try and save endangered Black Grouse in thes Southern Uplands - with a new mapping exercise married to a rethink on land management. Black Grouse once widespread in Britain but have declined rapidly in recent years and

Now new work by the Southern Uplands Partnership to examine the state of the Black Grouse population has been supported by £9,500, two-year grant from the Fallago Environment Fund, which was set up by Roxburghe Estates, EDF Renewables and Hermes Infrastructure.

A new survey will now take place of Black Grouse in the Southern Uplands, with an aim to help protect the threatened species’ habitat.

The partnership will now further monitor Black Grouse at breeding or lekking sites where the male birds strut and display their feathers during their annual courting ritual.

The work will allow pushes for future developments to include new forest planting.

The partnership say it will also add weight to calls for owners of windfarms to be encouraged to avoid the most important habitats in order to help to ensure the survival of this iconic species in the area.

Commercial forestry expansion has been linked to the decline of the game bird.

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This is because commercial forests initially provide excellent habitats when they are young, but because they are densely planted, the canopy quickly closes, and the plants on the forest floor that are favoured by black grouse are shaded out.

The partnership say that "a balance between open moorland and woodland at key locations is essential for populations to thrive".

They also say that the survey data will be "particularly important" with regard to the ongoing expansion of conifer plantations across the Southern Uplands.

While newly-planted commercial woodlands can provide excellent Black Grouse habitats, the birds can be displaced once the tree canopy closes and shades-out their favoured ground vegetation.

The partnership say to assist the survival of Black Grouse populations in these forested landscapes, interconnected areas of suitable moorland need to be retained.

Pip Tabor, Southern Uplands Partnership manager said: “The lekking rituals of this charismatic upland species are one of nature’s great spectacles, however Black Grouse populations in the South of Scotland remain extremely vulnerable.

"The funding for this new survey will enable us to ensure that new plantations take key Black Grouse habitat into consideration and ensure that we don’t see further erosion of this important species.

"Efforts have been made to keep commercial forestry away from black grouse populations.

"Forestry can be beneficial for a while after grazing is excluded, the vegetation is quite good for them - but as soon as the conifers become bigger and the canopy closes - the good vegetation is wiped out and the forests just become a sanctuary for the predators - crows and foxes.

"Gamekeepers are generally helpful to the species so they are often associated with keepered ground - although they are also vulnerable to being accidentally shot!"

A previous survey found that leks that were still occupied in 2018 had more rough grassland and less conifer woodland cover nearby than extinct sites, but declines were similar across management types.

Leks on moorland that was managed for driven red grouse shooting had twice as many males.

Mr Tabor added: "Forestry can be designed to keep the edge more open - with scattered trees providing shelter and food.

He said farmers can be encouraged to graze the lek sites enough to keep them open but not so much that they lose their shelter.

"We also need to try to manage the landscape to ensure that there are links between populations - corridors through which they can disperse and mix," he said. "Large forestry blocks are thought to act as barriers resulting in small isolated populations which are then vulnerable to being lost.

"We are keen to help more people see the lekking - which is a local wildlife spectacle which few get to enjoy. This has to be managed because the birds are easily disturbed."

The Black Grouse study questioned what the effect of the Scottish government’s aim to increase woodland cover would be.

There are worries that with moorland fringe habitats likely to be targeted for further planting, the availability of the black grouse’s moorland fringe habitats would be reduced and those of their predators increase.

Fund chairman, Gareth Baird, said; “Black Grouse are one of Scotland’s most iconic birds and it would be a tragedy if numbers were to decline further in the South of Scotland.

"We’re delighted that the Fallago Environment Fund is able to use windfarm-generated resources to help sustain and encourage the Black Grouse population in the area.”