Grouse and kestrels on the wane as climate crisis hits Scottish wildlife

Hotter and wetter weather has led to populations of the region’s most famous bird species to be halved in the last 30 years

Some of Scotland’s most famous bird species, including grouse and kestrels, are among those declining as a result of climate change, a new report has found.

The study, by public body NatureScot, charted the populations of Scotland’s terrestrial breeding birds between 1994 and 2022. It found significant changes to the numbers and species of birds living in the country’s urban, woodland, upland and farmland habitats, in large part due to ­hotter and wetter weather related to the climate crisis.