Songbird Trapping and Illegal Trade in the Mediterranean

The illegal trapping of migratory songbirds in Mediterranean countries, its welfare impacts, and the conservation and welfare campaigns working to end this practice.

Key Facts

Millions of migratory songbirds are illegally trapped annually in Cyprus, Malta, Italy, and other Mediterranean countries
Trapping methods include mist nets, lime sticks, and electronic call playback that concentrate birds for capture
Trapped birds experience acute stress, physical injury, and often death during capture and transport
The practice targets protected species including blackcaps, robins, and turtle doves for consumption or sale
Committee Against Bird Slaughter and BirdLife International run monitoring and enforcement campaigns

Welfare Considerations

Illegal songbird trapping in the Mediterranean represents one of the largest direct welfare harms to wild bird populations in Europe. Individual birds experience acute suffering — entanglement in lime sticks causes wing damage, stress from capture causes fatal shock in sensitive species, and transport conditions are often lethal. The scale is enormous: estimates suggest tens of millions of birds are killed annually across the region. Enforcement is chronically under-resourced relative to the scale of the problem. Consumer demand drives the practice in some countries where trapping has deep cultural roots.

What You Can Do

Support BirdLife International and CABS in their illegal trapping monitoring and enforcement campaigns
Report observed illegal trapping to relevant wildlife crime authorities when travelling in affected countries
Avoid consuming wild-caught songbirds in restaurants in Mediterranean countries where this practice occurs
Engage with tourism organisations about wildlife crime awareness for visitors to affected regions
Donate to conservation organisations monitoring migratory bird welfare along Mediterranean flyways