The commission is concerned that the United Kingdom authorities may not be doing all they can to ensure adequate protection of the capercaillie

George Kremlis, EC environment directorate

That figure is a twentieth of the capercaillie population during the mid Seventies.

Their failure to spot wire deer fences which protect new forests has already been highlighted as one of the main reasons for their decline.

George Kremlis of the EC's environment directorate said: "The commission is concerned that the United Kingdom authorities may not be doing all they can to ensure adequate protection of the capercaillie."

Scientists say poor weather has reduced the bird's supply of plant food.

Six special protection areas have been created for the birds, covering a few thousand hectares.

But Robert Moss, a former senior scientist at the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology in Banchory, said these must be expanded tenfold.

'Sound scientific principles'

He accused Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), which is responsible for the zones, of being "defensive and negligent".

However, the SNH told New Scientist that it was committed to protecting the capercaillie.

And it stressed that its work was based on sound scientific principles.

Capercaillie have been known to attack humans

The most recent attempt to preserve the capercaillie, otherwise known as the tetrao urogallus, was launched in June.

Forestry Minister, John Home Robertson, promised that forestry grants would include a condition aimed at safeguarding the bird.

All grant applications submitted to the Forestry Commission will have to include wooden, not wire, fencing in capercaillie areas.

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.