Cock-of-the-Woods: The Thin Line of Birdwatching

This is a translation from Poland's largest newspaper. We leave it here as is.

In Beskidy mountain range, only a few hundred Western capercaillies, or "cocks-of-the-woods," remain, making the species endangered. A cock living in that region was recently being disturbed by tourists and wildlife photographers, who later shared their photos on social media.

Because people continued to harass the animal, authorities eventually decided to capture it and relocate it to a quieter area. Unfortunately, the bird did not survive the move. Even during the capture, a group of people with cameras was present.

According to ornithologists, the bird was severely weakened, weighing nearly half of its normal weight, and the constant presence of people caused significant stress. "It probably didn’t have time to eat because it was so focused on guarding its territory."

People who tracked the cock with cameras were breaking the law, which, in Poland, prohibits photographing, filming, or observing capercaillies in ways that could disturb or scare them.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza

Photo: Upland Project