THE capercaillie is at real risk of extinction in the UK, with only 542 of the birds estimated to be left in Scotland, according to new data.
The population has dropped around 50% since the last survey six years ago and is now at a critically low level, the latest national survey has found.
Numbers of capercaillie have been declining since the third national survey of 2003/04, however this is the first time the population has dipped below 1,000.
