Can anyone help? I found this very distressed crow trapped in a cage whilst out walking today in the Northern Peak District (see attached images). There were the remains of a dead bird in the cage aswell, the smell was terrible. Does anyone know what this cage is for and how a crow had come to be trapped inside it? It was a disturbing and unexpected sight to find.
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
bird trapped in a cage? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lisared
- Start date
It is a Larsen trap. The captive crow is a decoy. Other crows in the area will attempt to drive it off, but will land on a stick which springs the trap. Such traps are legal, provided they are regularly checked, the decoy bird is fed and watered and any non target species are released.
If you accept that it is legitimate to control crows, this is most humane way to do it, I think.
Pete
craigthirlwell
Well-known member
Yeah larsen trap. These traps are use fairly often. I can't really comment on the effectiveness of such traps but i'd imagine that corvids being clever little buggers would figure them out rather quickley.
Did you try passing the crow a cake with a file inside of it??
Did you try passing the crow a cake with a file inside of it??
Simongodders
Messner Wannabe
I came across my first of these only a few weeks ago whilst walking on the Chilterns and quite frankly I was disgusted.
I checked out the RSPB web-site to find contradictory information - that the RSPB don't believe Corvids to be responsible for songbird decline but advocate the use of them on their reserves. Baffling.
I don't accept any legitimate control of crows...
I checked out the RSPB web-site to find contradictory information - that the RSPB don't believe Corvids to be responsible for songbird decline but advocate the use of them on their reserves. Baffling.
I don't accept any legitimate control of crows...
Simongodders
Messner Wannabe
Cosworthlady
Well-known member
That makes me feel very very sad. I admit i'm a townie but I adore the crows who visit my garden. If I seen one of those traps I would cut the blooming trap open and release the bird. I know that might anger a lot of people but I don't care.
craigthirlwell
Well-known member
I can understand your anger, however these keepers and land owners aren't breaking the law. By cutting these traps open you would be breaking the law (criminal damage) and perhaps more importantly you would be fuelling the bad feeling between the keeping and birding communities.
It is also worth considering that corvid 'management' is regarded as good practice by some conservation bodies to maintain high numbers of breeding waders.
Craig T
Mary Evelyn
New member
I am not a townie but i would do the same.They can get as angry as they like............. tough.
Sandra (Taylor)
Well-known member
That's exactly what we did when we came across one of these traps on a walk - in Derbyshire, I think, and I make no apologies. There was a dead bird and a live bird in the trap but no food or water.
Sandra
Sandra
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
The underlying cause of most bird declines is deterioration or loss of habitat. Unfortunately, once the habitat is in poor condition or has become fragmented, predation (particularly by common species such as crows) can be the final nail in the coffin.
Obviously the ideal solution is to improve and expand habitat, but this can take time (and in many cases it will never be possible to create large enough areas of good habitat in a crowded island such as this one). As a result, some crow control is a necessary evil if you want some scarcer species to survive. Waders and woodland grouse are the main species where there is evidence that crow predation can be a significant problem - there is little evidence that crows predation is a major problem for songbirds.
Having said that, I would say that crow control of the scale illustrated by nirofo is taking things to an extreme which cannot be justified on conservation grounds.
Simongodders
Messner Wannabe
Good for you. I wish I'ld had the guts to do the same...
Keith Glasgow
Well-known member
Agreed.
And if you know of someone releasing corvids from such a trap - ring the Police too - as that's also illegal.
Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander!
Zek.
Sandra (Taylor)
Well-known member
Mary Evelyn
New member
alan_rymer
Well-known member
We have access to an ex rubbish tip with gravel pit. The gravel pit and immediately surrounding land we want to make into a nature reserve ( there would be no public access, but its visible over a hedge ). A Sand Martin wall with 105 holes also fronts onto a part of the pit. This year we had 4 pair of Little Ringed Plover, a few pair of Lapwing and about 5 pair of Common Tern, and upwards of 1000 Carrion Crows and Jackdaws. The Jackdaw and Crows Perch on top of the wall waiting for the Martins to fly in or out, but mainly the Crows tend to wait below. On the island there are still two pairs of Terns left. Gangs of Jackdaws approch as close as they can until a Tern leaves its nest to chase them off ( talk about sitting ducks ). The LRP's had no chance. Anything that flies gets chased unmercifully. The Canada Geese and Egyptian Geese rampage in battles on the gravel banks where the LRP's tried to nest.
Strange, the Coots seem to be ignored whilst sitting!.
If you were involved with trying to make a go of this for the wildlife, what would YOU do?.
Nothing has been done. Yet!.
Strange, the Coots seem to be ignored whilst sitting!.
If you were involved with trying to make a go of this for the wildlife, what would YOU do?.
Nothing has been done. Yet!.
Attachments
Last edited:
