A European robin caught on a limestick trap in Cyprus.
An international bird conservation group reports that more than 1 million migratory birds were illegally trapped and killed in Cyprus during the past year to be served up as local delicacies.
Birdlife Cyprus says the birds were indiscriminately killed in nets or on sticks dipped in sticky lime.
Songbirds are a popular dish on the Mediterranean island, which lies on a key migratory route.
Diners often pay up to $7 per fried or grilled bird at restaurants that ignore Cyprus’ ban on the killing and selling of wild birds.
Birdlife says birds are often lured into the nets and traps by songbird recordings, and suffer lingering and painful deaths.
Officials launched a crackdown on trappers and restaurants before Cyprus joined the European Union in May 2004, but conservationists say the government now lacks the political will to eliminate the trade.
Photo: Guy Shorrock - Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
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