‘You could single-handedly push it to extinction’: how social media is putting our rarest wildlife at risk

From breeding spots overrun by visitors to photographers disturbing endangered species, experts say the rarer the find is, the bigger the problem

With its impressive size, striking plumage and rowdy displays, sighting a capercaillie is many birders' dream. Only about 530 of the large woodland grouse survive in the wild, most in Scotland's Cairngorms national park.

But in recent years, those tasked with saving the species from extinction have had to walk a line between calling attention to the birds' plight and discouraging people from seeking them out.