Asked them if they were catching birds. They said "No" and explained that they were just out to allow their birds an opportunity to enjoy the morning amongst the trees in that area.
I asked to have a look at the bird cages. They opened up the covering cloth for each cage. Each 'cage' was of a different design. They did not look like the cages one would be used to seeing at bird singing competitions. These were small contraptions and the openings seemed to be spring loaded. The traps had 2 Oriental Magpie Robins and 1 Jambol. These are endangered native birds and capture from the wild is an offence.
I told the men that these were traps and not cages. They claimed that they had not hung the 'cages' yet. I told them that it was an offence to trap birds and that the fines were harsh. They seemed to know that it was an offence but one of them claimed that the 'cages' could be bought at any local bird shop. This is an interesting point if these traps are indeed available for sale in our local bird shops. They should not be on sale in local bird shops.
Notice how the yellow polka dot cage cover looks like how a regular birdcage would look like. The photo below shows the actual size of the trap below the cover. This one had the Jambol.
The remaining two traps each had an Oriental Magpie Robin.
If you do see people with bird 'cages' and you suspect that they are trapping birds, please shoot pics of the vehicles' registration plates and submit the details to AVA for follow up.
Do give the specific location, date and time.
Do post it on Facebook so that the information can be shared.
Increased public awareness about bird trapping will be a sure way to cut down on such activity. Do what you can to help eliminate this.
