RapportFondation 2025 V02 EN light - Flipbook - Page 38
Protect & RESTORE
2024 REPORT
HIGH FENS
SAFEGUARDING THE black grouse,
A SYMBOL OF THE HIGH FENS
AMOUNT COMMITTED TO DATE: €15,862
2015 > PRESENT
The black grouse has virtually disappeared from Belgium, a victim of hunting and habitat destruction. This bird is
renowned for its spectacular courtship displays, during which males unfurl their lyre-shaped tail and make distinctive
sounds to attract females. The High Fens are home to the last remaining population in Belgium, although numbers
have fallen far too low to survive without our help (in 2015, only 2 males and 1 female were counted). A project
to boost this population is therefore underway to save this iconic bird. Coordinated by the University of Liège with
the support of various partners, including the Pairi Daiza Foundation, the project is initially based on translocation.
Since 2017, several dozen birds have been imported each spring from Sweden (where they are present in large
numbers) and released into the High Fens. After each capture, the birds are measured, weighed and banded; some
are fitted with a GPS transmitter to allow their movements to be tracked.
© Jus琀椀ne Dewilde - ULiège - SSHF
© ULiège - SSHF
© Dylan Delvaux - ULiège - SSHF
AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME:
TO RE-ESTABLISH A STABLE POPULATION (40 MALES) OF BLACK GROUSE IN THE HIGH FENS.
RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PROJECT:
IN THE SPRING OF 2024, 15 FEMALES AND 11 MALES FROM SWEDEN WERE RELEASED INTO THE
HIGH FENS, BRINGING NEW HOPE FOR THE LOCAL POPULATION.
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