AVIAN ATTRITION: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF ILLICIT HUNTING AND TRAPPING PRACTICES TARGETING MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES

Abstract

Illegal hunting and trapping of birds are major concerns for avifauna. Guns, nets, parany tools and traps are used to trap migratory birds as a type of sustenance hunting. Drivers for the illicit hunting of birds are recreational happiness, adventure killing, gamesmanship trophy poaching, commercial gain domestic consumption, etc. In this review, we explored the illegal trapping and killing of migratory birds worldwide. This was achieved by critically reviewing published literature from resources like journals. Bird capturing occurs in the low-income countries of the Middle East as well as North Africa as well as in EU Mediterranean countries. The unlawful trapping as well as killing of birds take place worldwide, for example in Asia (songbird tapping) and in North America and Europe (shooting of raptors), etc. Between North Africa and Europe, Seasonal patterns of hunting differ markedly. Prohibited killing and capturing of birds threaten biological diversity in many ecosystems (aquatic and terrestrial) and also caused declining in their population. Agreement on the Preservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and sustainable use of bird population are also discussed.