麻豆约拍

Criminal gangs are using recordings of songbirds played through speakers to lure small birds into nets or to branches covered in glue on the island of Cyprus.

The practice of trapping songbirds for human consumption was outlawed in Cyprus in 1974 but it continues to be carried out.

Twenty years ago more than 2 million birds were caught like this every year, with more than 10 million killed in the 1990s according to systematic monitoring carried out by bird conservation charity BirdLife Cyprus.

The numbers have been going down recently but trapping continues on an almost industrial level - BirdLife says last year more than 400,000 birds such as golden orioles, nightingales and trikes were trapped to be sold to restaurants to be served as food.

Newsday heard more about this illicit trade and its implication for songbirds from Martin Hellicar of BirdLife Cyprus.

"We have a conservation success story that is under threat. We need targeted enforcement against the mafia-style trappers."

(Pic: Golden orioles in tree with their nest; Credit: PA)

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