Illegal Bird Trapping is happening right in the USA!

I am not sure if you knew about this... but thousands of migratory songbirds are being caught around Florida each year to supply a thriving illegal market.

Most of us are aware that illegal trapping of parrots and songbirds goes on in places like Mexico, Asia, Africa and Europe but did you know it is happening right in the US?

 Apparently songbirds like Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo and Painted Buntings, Scott's Orioles and Cardinals and even owls and hawks are being illegally trapped in Miami and sold on the black market. All of the birds are exhausted and easily trapped on their migration stop over in Florida. Most are trapped for the pet trade, for killing for religious sacrifice (yes you heard that!) and for singing competitions. Those of Cuban descent are being blamed for the majority of the trapping in the article. Apparently illegal bird trapping is rampant in Cuba.

 Some are rolling birds in hair curlers then taping them to their legs under their pants :(. Others use nets where they trap over 200 birds at a time and sadly many are killed in the nets by cats and dogs as they leave them to suffer overnight. Many die in captivity due to stress or rough handling during trapping. One such case in the story talks about the abuse some birds suffer. Like a Loggerhead Shrike beat to death and an Indigo Bunting blinded with a safety pin. Hummingbirds are most frequently killed for religious sacrifices. Again this is happening right in the good ol' USA!.

 If you don't know about songbird competitions it is quite bleak. Males are kept in isolation in darkness and then played songs on loops... true torture. They are forced to mimic the sounds.

 You can read about this fascinating and disturbing story by National Geographic HERE

My heart breaks for these birds what a world.. hopefully a bird trap ban comes into effect as the officers are pleading for. Thanks to the US Fish and Game trying so hard to combat this problem. Birds are already under so much pressure it is heartbreaking us humans keep continuing to put more on them.

Speaking about this I soon will post about the destruction of Cliff Swallow nests at Pitt Lake another distressing story that needs to be discussed.

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