Illegal trapping of songbirds for food or the pet trade continues in parts of Europe and globally, causing welfare harm through capture stress, captive confinement, and high mortality during transport.
Illegal songbird trapping causes severe welfare harm. Glue trap capture results in exhaustion, injury, and death from cold and exposure for birds unable to free themselves. Mist net capture causes feather damage and stress, with small birds dying rapidly from handling stress if processing is delayed. Birds transported in cramped, dark containers for the cage bird trade experience high mortality from stress and inadequate conditions. Surviving birds placed in captivity are deprived of migration, natural social behaviour, and appropriate habitat. The welfare harm extends to populations whose breeding success is compromised by the removal of adults during the reproductive period.