The illegal trapping and trade of songbirds for food, song competitions, and the pet trade causes enormous suffering and threatens wild populations across Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia.
The welfare suffering involved in songbird trapping is severe and multifaceted. Birds captured with limesticks experience adhesion and tearing of feathers and skin; mist-netted birds can break wings or suffer hypothermia. Those that survive capture are often housed in small cages under conditions that prevent natural behavior and cause chronic stress. Many die before reaching their destination. Even those that survive the journey and are kept long-term in small cages face permanent restriction of flight, song competition stress, and social isolation. Conservation-focused welfare interventions must address both the supply side (enforcement against trapping) and demand side (cultural change in consuming communities).