Coexisting with capercaillie: innovative forestry methods at Bruzaholm wind farm

This solution involves a declaration of intent with the landowner to adjust forestry practises to benefit the capercaillie population – preserving “skirt spruces” to protect the birds from predators and avoiding clear-cutting the area and retaining larger deciduous trees.

To increase our understanding of the species and its boreal habitats, Vattenfall launched a project led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Science. The project use AI-based software to monitor wildlife in capercaillie habitats at four sites across Sweden.

Monitoring began in 2023 using remote cameras, audio recorders, and GPS-tracking, with the first phase of the monitoring concluding in 2024, yielding promising results.

Preliminary findings show high accuracy for both camera (95%) and acoustic (90%) monitoring and provide detailed insights into peak vocalisation periods, enabling more efficient future monitoring.

Reports and scientific papers are currently under preparation, with publication expected in 2025.