The article ”Updated 23.52 | Published 23.48” talks about the threat to some of Scotland’s most famous birds due to warmer and wetter weather. Over the past 30 years, the number of capercaillies and kestrels has halved, as reported by The Guardian. The capercaillie, in particular, is closely associated with Scotland and adorns the label of the famous Scottish whiskey brand Famous Grouse. The species is one of several that have experienced a significant decline in the region due to climate change, according to a report from the NatureScot authority.
They have mapped the population of land birds between 1994 and 2022. While some species, such as the great spotted woodpecker and the bullfinch, have increased significantly thanks to the warmer weather, others have decreased. Capercaillie, kestrel, greenfinch, and lapwing have all decreased by more than 50% during the period, partly due to increased summer rainfall. ”This report shows how today’s weather will affect bird populations in the future,” said Simon Foster, an analyst at NatureScot.
