The minister told the Scottish Parliament's rural affairs committee that he had been persuaded of the need to save the capercaillie during on a visit to a nature reserve at Nethybridge.

A capercaillie in full voice

The factor on the Balmoral Estate recently withdrew a plan to erect high wire fences around an area of new natural woodland after it was pointed out to him that capercaillie could not see them in the early morning light and flew straight into them.

A former gamekeeper on Deeside, Jimmy Oswald, has been petitioning parliament for months to save the capercaillie.

He described Mr Home Robertson's decision as a "very positive" step.

The capercaillie is big enough to be nicknamed the "horse of the woods" and was hunted to extinction in the late 18th century.

It was re-established in 1837 when the Marquis of Dunblane brought 50 birds from Sweden, but now it is confined to central and north-east Scotland.

The mating song of the male has been described as beginning with a resonant rattle, continuing with a pop-like a cork being pulled from a wine bottle, followed by the pouring of a liquid out of a narrow-necked bottle and ending with the sound of knife grinding.

The males can be very aggressive and have been known to attack deer, dogs, sheep and even humans if they are disturbed.