Black Grouse. Photographby Whitfield Benson.
Why was there a need for the project?
Black grouse is one of the most rapidly declining birds in the UK. Once widespread across England, there has been a serious decline in numbers over recent decades, with the English population now restricted to the northern Pennine Hills. The Yorkshire Dales are on the southern edge of their remaining distribution, with the majority of the remaining 58 males in 1998 found on the fringes of moorland north of Wensleydale, following a contraction in range northwards since the 1970s.
What were the project's aims?
The North Pennines Black Grouse Recovery Project was established in 1996 to stem the decline and increase both numbers and range.To achieve this, a full-time project officer was employed with a multi-faceted role which included the provision of free black grouse management advice to landowners, farmers, government and conservation organisations; monitoring the population and plugging gaps in our knowledge through the development of a research programme.
What did the project achieve?
The project demonstrated that through restoring moorland fringe habitats through sheep grazing reductions funded through agri-environment schemes, black grouse bred better, leading to 5% per year increases in displaying males. Widespread uptake of this management on the fringes of heather moorland where moorland gamekeepers are operating has seen a recovery in the Yorkshire Dales from 58 males in 1998 to 171 males in 2007. Towards the end of the project there was a drive to expand their range south into former haunts through encouraging the provision of a network of habitat conditions and a translocation trial to establish new lekking groups.
Who was involved?
The North Pennines Black Grouse Recovery Project was a partnership project between the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, RSPB, Natural England, Ministry of Defence, Northumbrian Water, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership.
