We studied the relationship between landscape composition and capercaillie density in 50 km × 50 km grids in Finland, where modern forestry started in the 1950s and most of the forests are in commercial use. Capercaillie density was positively associated with the young thinning stand proportion throughout the country, but unlike in numerous older studies, it wasn't positively associated with the mature stand proportion in any part of the country. In central Finland this relationship was even negative. In central and southern Finland capercaillie density was associated positively with the forest land proportion, and negatively with the open area proportion. Results suggest that the overall amount of the forest cover is important for the capercaillie, and that clear-cut areas in the 1950s and 1960s, known as ‘large age classes’, have developed as suitable for them. A new aspect based on results is the potential reduction in the mature forest quality as capercaillie habitats.