Catching wild birds

[krowe79]

https://imgur.com/a/B7XY7 was out with the dogs today and found a trap with a zebra finch in a trap to attract over birds to it there's loads off fishing line leg traps attached to the wire why would you won't to catch smal birds I took the trap down and gave it to a park worker

[la bala]

Would have been a worthwhile job for RSPCA, but not really hunting related so i doubt they would be interested.

[robbiep]

Completely illegal. I'd suggest contacting the police. If you do, then ensure you get a reference number from them, because it's then 'on record', and if they ignore it then the officers can get in all sorts of grief.

[Blackpowder]

Once came across a whole lot of mist nets set around an unoccupied farm house in the Cheviots. If there was anyone about they did not respond to our request to show themselves so released the many finches caught there and cut the nets to pieces.

 

Blackpowder

[Bazooka Joe]

loads off fishing line leg traps attached to the wire

 

 

Intrigued..have you no other photos.?

[Vince Green]

They were caught to be sold as caged birds years ago. I can remember being taken as a boy to Club Row, a street market in East London where there were hundreds of finches and linnets on sale. I would have thought the practice would have died out by now.

 

http://www.eastendreview.co.uk/2014/06/09/club-row-market/

 

This almost fits into the big cats saga thread because they were sold there as well, quite a lot too! I can remember stroking a cheetah . My uncle used to buy goats and bring them home on the train. You could buy anything there, parrots, monkeys galore etc. None of it was regulated.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Vince Green

[Vince Green]

Completely illegal. I'd suggest contacting the police. If you do, then ensure you get a reference number from them, because it's then 'on record', and if they ignore it then the officers can get in all sorts of grief.

Yes but the modern day coppers wouldn't have the first idea what to do about it. Not like the old village bobby who would have known who it was and where they were selling them without having to ask.

[andrewluke]

could have been designed to catch birds of prey?? ,sparrow hawks etc.

[Vince Green]

could have been designed to catch birds of prey?? ,sparrow hawks etc.

Yes that goes on too no doubt, mind you, best to catch them while you still can before the Kites kill them all off

[FalconFN]

Yes that goes on too no doubt, mind you, best to catch them while you still can before the Kites kill them all off

Kites kill-off sparrow hawks or finches?? Not going to happen in either case.

 

To the OP, the traps are illegal so call the police (or RSPCA if so inclined) at the least.

Edited April 6, 2016 by FalconFN

[Penelope]

I just about remember going there as a young boy with my Great Grandad, as I lived not far away in Hackney.

 

They were caught to be sold as caged birds years ago. I can remember being taken as a boy to Club Row, a street market in East London where there were hundreds of finches and linnets on sale. I would have thought the practice would have died out by now.

 

http://www.eastendreview.co.uk/2014/06/09/club-row-market/

 

This almost fits into the big cats saga thread because they were sold there as well, quite a lot too! I can remember stroking a cheetah . My uncle used to buy goats and bring them home on the train. You could buy anything there, parrots, monkeys galore etc. None of it was regulated.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Penelope

[Penelope]

Native captive bred finches have to be closed ringed when a few days old, but from when I kept canaries 20 odd years ago, I remember being told that there was a way to do it to adult captured birds. Whether that is true or not I don't know.

 

They were caught to be sold as caged birds years ago. I can remember being taken as a boy to Club Row, a street market in East London where there were hundreds of finches and linnets on sale. I would have thought the practice would have died out by now.

 

http://www.eastendreview.co.uk/2014/06/09/club-row-market/

 

This almost fits into the big cats saga thread because they were sold there as well, quite a lot too! I can remember stroking a cheetah . My uncle used to buy goats and bring them home on the train. You could buy anything there, parrots, monkeys galore etc. None of it was regulated.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Penelope

[JDog]

The 'zebra finch' in the trap was unlikely to attract any other zebra finches. The bird was more likely to be a Goldfinch.

[Bazooka Joe]

The 'zebra finch' in the trap was unlikely to attract any other zebra finches. The bird was more likely to be a Goldfinch.

 

 

My thoughts as well, ...still intrigued to what these fishing line leg traps are.

[foxnet22]

The 'zebra finch' in the trap was unlikely to attract any other zebra finches. The bird was more likely to be a Goldfinch.

more than likely been a male call bird to atract other goldfinches .I once came across a trap with a bullfinch cock bird in the middle with two other compartments with a trap door on each side.I released the bird and broke the trap.

[andrewluke]

The 'zebra finch' in the trap was unlikely to attract any other zebra finches. The bird was more likely to be a Goldfinch.

from what i can see it looks more like a zebra finch

[lurchers]

Native captive bred finches have to be closed ringed when a few days old, but from when I kept canaries 20 odd years ago, I remember being told that there was a way to do it to adult captured birds. Whether that is true or not I don't know.

 

They don't have to be closed rung as the rings can slip off the legs if you ring them to early in the nest.if that happens you can gift the bird only or keep it as long as you can prove its captive bred,if not or they think it's dodgey you are going to court.

[Dasher]

Certainly is a Zebra finch, I used to keep several dozen when I was younger. Looks like the fishing line is out side of the wire cage with nooses tied in it, it can in my opinion only be to catch birds of prey as they try to get to the finch. Contact the RSPCA as the police might get around to looking at it in a week or so.....

[The Mighty Prawn]

Those of us who have read Lofty Wiseman's SAS Survival Guide will recognise this as a trap straight out of the book to catch small birds by the foot as they land

 

Doubt this was for sustenance in a survival situation though

[blackthorn]

My old grandad used to catch them with bird lime, used for breeding with canaries, other finches, for showing

He was in cage and avery often with champion birds

[pontbeck]

My Grans brother did the same but it was accepted practice back then and I enjoyed seeing the mules produced. However, we have come a long way since then and it should not be tolerated now.

[moondoggy]

My mother knew of someone (many years ago) who used to trap sparrows, dye them yellow and sell them as canaries.

[scolopax]

There was a few years a case where a well respected breeder of British birds had his small collection of Red backed Shrikes confiscated.

 

Now IIRC they could not be proved to have been bred in captivity with 100% certainty due to the paperwork not being sufficiently convincing, (they might have been ringed they might not have been) I think imported from Holland is part of the story. But was appalled me was that the court deemed that as they were in their opinion illegally held, they could not be kept by anyone else, and neither could they be released. So they ordered that these very rare birds be destroyed !!

[TIDES EDGE]

more than likely been a male call bird to atract other goldfinches .I once came across a trap with a bullfinch cock bird in the middle with two other compartments with a trap door on each side.I released the bird and broke the trap.

If this was back in the 1960`s it was legal to catch bullfinches to protect the fruit trees they eat the buds I as a lad was paid a shilling per bird .

[krowe79]

it was a zebra finch defo

 

The 'zebra finch' in the trap was unlikely to attract any other zebra finches. The bird was more likely to be a Goldfinch.