Glue traps intended for rodents frequently capture wild birds, causing severe injury, feather damage, and death — a welfare problem that is largely unregulated in many countries.
Birds trapped on glue boards undergo extended struggling that damages feathers, dislocates joints, and causes exhaustion. Even birds successfully removed require wildlife rehabilitation and many are too severely injured to release. The prolonged distress of a bird adhered to a glue surface — unable to move or call effectively — represents significant suffering. The non-selectivity of glue traps means protected and non-target species are routinely harmed.