• Raufußhühner
  • Grouse Conservation
  • Raufußhühner

Grouse Conservation

Western Capercaillie Conservation

The habitats of Saxony’s last remaining indigenous western capercaillie populations are found in the Western Erzgebirge and the Vogtland.
Europe’s largest wood grouse is threatened with extinction in Germany and has been considered “extinct” in Saxony – and, as such, in our nature park – since 2015.

A working group coordinated by the nature park was founded to develop and carry out rescue measures. Unfortunately, none of these were successful.
The aims of the project were to:

  • Preserve the remaining western capercaillie populations in the Western Erzgebirge/Vogtland;
  • Stabilise the “safe areas”, especially in winter (to counteract vulnerability, food shortages and loss of energy caused by the birds relocating);
  • Direct winter sports activities to the existing cross-country skiing trail on the ridge and its feeder trails;
  • Continue monitoring and reconnaissance work by conservation officers in the affected area;
  • Relocate feeder trails for cross-country skiers away from the sensitive western capercaillie habitats; and
  • Conduct targeted public outreach informing those participating in winter sports about efforts to save the remaining western capercaillie population in and around the nature park.

Despite the loss of the western capercaillie populations, the habitats will be preserved as they are also used by other bird and animal species.

    Black grouse conservation

    There are a number of habitats with indigenous black grouse populations in the Erzgebirge.
    This rare wood grouse is threatened with extinction – including the populations in the nature park.

    To protect these remaining populations, a working group at the Saxon State Ministry for the Environment has been formed with the cooperation of the Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst (the state authority for forestry management), the nature park and tourism associations.

    Its aims are to:

    • Preserve the remaining populations of black grouse in the Erzgebirge;
    • Preserve and improve the black grouse habitats;
    • Stabilise the “safe areas”, especially in winter;
    • Focus winter sports activities on the existing main Erzgebirge/Krušné hory ski trail and on the cross-country skiing trail along the ridge and the feeder trails (through signage and the use of the quietest-possible trail technology); and
    • Conduct targeted public outreach to inform those participating in winter sports about efforts to save the remaining black grouse population in and around the nature park.