A study has shown putting down food near bird eggs to draw away predators increases their chances of survival, leading to hopes the tactic can be used to save the capercaillie from potential extinction.

It is believed there are only around 500 of the ground-nesting birds left in the wild in the UK and its decline has been partly blamed on predators such as pine marten, which is itself a protected species, eating their eggs and chicks.

Researchers seeking a non-lethal way to stop predators from targeting capercaillie placed hundreds of artificial nests filled with chicken eggs throughout the Cairngorms then left deer meat near half of them to see if this would discourage them from foraging further.