The status of Ptarmigan in Scotland: results of a survey questionnaire of land managers

Abstract

Ptarmigan are montane specialists, with little published information on their status and trends in Scotland.  In a survey of managers of 56 Scottish upland estates within the Ptarmigan's range, 39% of respondents considered that Ptarmigan numbers had declined in the past 25 years, 13% that numbers had increased, and 48% that numbers remained unchanged.  The majority of respondents (84%) considered that the range of Ptarmigan had remained unchanged during the same period.