Wild Bird Trapping Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Wild bird trapping for the songbird trade causes significant welfare harm through stress, injury, and high mortality during capture and transport.

Key Facts

Millions of wild songbirds are trapped annually in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Southeast Asia
Limestick and mist net trapping methods cause injuries and high stress in captured birds
Captured birds are often transported in cramped conditions with high mortality rates
In some regions, songbird trapping is legal and culturally traditional; in others it is banned but ongoing
Conservation organizations monitor and oppose illegal trapping that decimates migratory populations

Welfare Considerations

Wild bird trapping for food, commerce, and captive keeping causes acute welfare harm during capture — struggling against sticky limesticks or mist nets, injuries from thrashing, and the extreme fear response of small birds caught by predator-like methods. Transport conditions following capture are frequently poor, causing high mortality. Even birds that survive to captivity experience chronic stress from confinement in inappropriate conditions. The intersection of welfare harm and conservation pressure on migratory bird populations makes wild bird trapping a high-priority welfare and conservation concern.

What You Can Do

Support organizations monitoring and opposing illegal wild bird trapping
Advocate for enforcement of wild bird trapping bans in your region
Never purchase wild-caught birds — choose captive-bred species only
Report suspected illegal bird trapping to wildlife authorities
Support international agreements protecting migratory birds from trapping along their routes