ONE of Britain's most endangered species is making a dramatic comeback in the North Pennines, thanks to careful land management.

A five-year study has shown an increase in black grouse numbers on moorland where grazing was reduced.

A three-fold increase in the numbers of displaying males was noted on land in Arkengarthdale which was managed to encourage birds.

The North Pennines black grouse recovery project was launched in 1996 to encourage land management to enhance conditions for the birds, which are thought to have declined by up to 90pc in the last decade.

The project, a partnership between the Game Conservancy Trust, the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, English Nature and Northumbrian Water, last surveyed bird numbers in 1998.

In Arkengarthdale, numbers of males rose from nine in 1998 to 24 in 2002. The project team put this down to several factors: a reduction in sheep numbers; planting of native woodlands in ghylls; pasture and meadow enhancement, and control of predators by gamekeepers.

The project relied heavily on the co-operation of the eight farmers, including the owner of the moor, who formed the East Arkengarthdale Common Committee in 1999 and put the whole 2,100-hectare common into a Countryside Stewardship agreement.

Sheep are now allowed to graze the moor for only three months, allowing heather, bilberry and cotton grass to flourish.

Funding for the project to continue for a further five years came in the shape of a £50,000 grant from Northumbrian Water, the latest partner to join the project.

Philip Warren, North Pennines black grouse project officer, said: "The site at Arkengarthdale is a fantastic example of how to manage land for black grouse, with the sporting estate and local farmers working together to provide the mosaic of habitats required, using ESA and CSS grants in conjunction with the vital predator control.

"Everyone involved should be very proud. This site is also very important, as it is at the southern edge of the birds' current range and may provide a springboard for re-colonisation of former haunts to the south."

Brian James, the Defra's ESA project officer for Arkengarthdale, was delighted to see the progress that had been made.

"The black grouse is a wonderful bird and it is fantastic to see numbers increasing," he said. "With financial support from the agri-environment schemes, the farmers have put a lot of effort into creating the correct habitat and it is obviously paying dividends.

"We thought we would see some increase after a year without a formal count, but a three-fold increase is remarkable."

Ian Court, species officer with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, was impressed on a visit to the site. "Not only did I see 20 black grouse, the site is also very important for a range of other ground nesting birds - lapwing, redshank, curlew, snipe, golden plover and grey partridge," he said. "It shows that, if you get the management right for black grouse, this benefits the other important ground nesting birds."

Kevin Bayes, senior conservation officer in the RSPB's Northern region, said: "Black grouse are one of the North's most spectacular upland birds and watching their amazing courtship display is an unforgettable experience.

"It is great news that the habitat improvements carried out by owners and land managers in the North Pennines have been so successful. They are to be congratulated for helping safeguard a future for these wonderful birds."

Black grouse are covered by a biodiversity action plan, which makes their protection a priority under a Government conservation programme. The remnant of the country's population survives in an area from Wensleydale to the Scottish border.

The birds prefer moor edges and thrive where there is a mosaic of habitats, including heather moorland, bog, rough pasture, small native woodlands and hay meadows.