Nature in Făgăraș Mountains: The capercaillie in Romania

Romania-Insider.com is publishing a series of articles about wildlife in Romania, zooming in on the wild animal and plant species in the Fagaras Mountains area. This editorial series is sponsored by the Foundation Conservation Carpathia.

The local capercaillie population has been declining in recent years, mainly as a result of a loss of habitat. Known for its beautiful coloring and mating display, the capercaillie provides another example of how forest destruction can have a wide-ranging impact.

The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is found in the Nordic, boreal area, occupying coniferous and conifer-dominated mixed forests. It is also present further down south, in the subalpine spruce forests, across the Alps or the Pyrenees. In the local Carpathians, it can be found where spruce forests are present.

This happens because the capercaillie needs wide areas of old, shady forest, scattered with bogs, areas of peat and undergrowth of ericaceous plants. The bird feeds on bilberry bushes in the summer, while during winter it eats conifer needles and shoots.

Size and coloration set the male and female capercaillie apart. The male is bigger than the hen, roughly twice the size. Their body feathers are dark grey to dark brown, and the breast feathers are dark metallic green. The belly and undertail vary from black to white. The males have a length from 54 to 85 cm, with a wingspan of 90 to 125 cm, and an average weight of 4 kg. By comparison, the capercaillie hen reaches between 54 and 64 cm in length, with a wingspan of 70 cm. The feathers on the upper parts are brown with black and silver barring, with a lighter color on the underside. Both the male and the female capercaillie have a white spot on the wing bow and a red spot of naked skin above each eye. Their legs are feathered for protection during the cold season.

The old forests, with the abundant ground vegetation, old trees and tree regrowth, provide the optimum habitat for both the adults and their young chick. Here, they are able to find there the food supply they need and the quality environment to nest and move around. The open stands in these forests are also important, allowing the capercaillie to fly downslope. With their body weight, and short, rounded wings, these birds avoid young and dense forests when flying.

In cleared areas, the bird cannot defend itself against predators. Similarly, in dense forests, it is difficult for it to take flight as it needs more space. It can hit the tree branches and break its wings.

But with the loss of the subalpine spruce forests, the capercaillie is seeing its habitat disappear. And with it, the species goes as well as the bird does not use other types of forests. They are considered an indicator species since they need this particular forest. If the forest is disappearing, so is the capercaillie.