Aims: the programme to capture, tag and collect eggs is mainly focussed on capturing and radio tagging female Cantabrian capercaillie  in order to monitor the specimen and then locate and collect eggs for the breeding and genetic reserve centre in Sobrescobio, as part of the ex situ conservation programme for the subspecies, which is being implemented alongside the field work. Collecting the eggs allows us to have reproductive specimen with a minimal effect on the wild population.

Partners: Asturias, Fundación Patrimonio Natural de Castilla y León y Government of Cantabria.

Description: To equip the Sobrescobio breeding centre with a captive stock, the partial collection and incubation of eggs is a way of getting specimen with the least negative effect on the wild population.

To find the nests, it is necessary to work out a capture and tagging programme for female capercaillie, with the double aim of locating nests in the wild and monitoring the specimen via radio, which will allow us to evaluate the impact of extraction, and give us important data on the ecology of the subspecies. The programme follows the methods described in the capture, tagging and egg collection protocol, approved by the Cantabrian Capercaillie Work Group. The captured capercaillie are tagged with transmitter collars that weigh 21g with mortality sensors. This action has been carried out in all years of the project, in the capture season and in the places stipulated by the authorities involved.