Warning after birds 'glued down' by sticky traps

2 hours ago

Amy StewartBBC News NI

Warning after birds hurt by sticky traps

Wild birds are being caught and injured in glue-type traps set for rodents, an Irish wildlife group has warned.

Robin and starlings have been found stuck in the traps, which are illegal in the Republic of Ireland, but not in Northern Ireland.

The starlings were "fully glued down" and the robin got his wing caught and was dragging a sticky device around, unable to fly.

A USPCA representative said the traps were "inhumane and cruel" and called for a ban in Northern Ireland, which she said was "lagging behind".

Julie Cronin, founder of Wildlife Rescue Cork, has been rehabilitating injured birds alongside her team.

News image — The starlings were covered in glue after being trapped on a glue board and the Robin got stuck on a sticky trap

Wildlife Rescue Cork Two pictures sit side-by-side. On the left, a starling is held by a blue latex gloved hands. It is a black bird, with a yellow beak and is clearly covered in a stick subtsance. On the right a Robin is pictured stuck to a yellow stick stiff board. — The starlings were covered in glue after being trapped on a glue board and the Robin got stuck on a sticky trap

"We got a call from someone who had caught a robin and it was the first time I had seen such a structure - a hard sticky thing that looked like it could be stuck into the ground," she told BBC News NI.

Feisty robin 'wouldn't give up without a fight'

Wildlife Rescue Cork Two photos are side by side. In the first a robin is held in a latex-gloved hand. Only its head is visible. The person holding it wears a top that says Wildlife rescue Cork on it. Only the torso of this person is visible. IN the second picture, a Robin's wing is spayed by a latex-gloved hand and the other hand holds its body. — The little Robin is doing well now and hopes are high that he will make a full recovery

"They're so feisty, robins, so he wasn't giving up without a fight," she added.

"The left wing was badly stuck to both sides. We tried coconut oil to get it off – but it's so fragile that would have caused a bone break.

"The bones in birds' wings are hollow and light, allowing them to fly so we did have to lose some feathers to get it off which he will regain, depending on how long he takes to moult," she explained.

"The problem with small birds is that they can die of stress."

However the good news is that the robin, who has been given pain relief, is "in great form" and Julie hopes he will be able to be released back into the wild within a few months.

Wildlife Rescue Cork ON the left the robin sits in his little carrier on top of a slab of fake grass and on the right Julie holds the tiny bird in her hand. She has dark hair pulled back behind her head and is wearing jeans and a dark T-shirt with "Wildlife rescue cork" written on the top left in white text. She has blue surgical gloves on. — The robin is now in great form

'Nearly cemented'

Wildlife Rescue Cork The lower part of a starling. The feathers are covered in glue and the feet are tangled up in fur. It is behind held in a hand wearing a blue surgical glove. — The starlings were able to be rescued, washed and kept warm

The starlings were covered in glue after making their way into vents where a trap had been set and ended up "nearly cemented into it and were fully glued down" to a more traditional glue board.

The person who found them got in touch with Wildlife Rescue Cork. They had managed to release them with oil but their feathers were damaged.

Julie acknowledged there was a "difficult balance between rodent control and wildlife".

"People have the right to protect their properties - which we understand - but it's a fine balance between what is humane and appropriate," she added.

Despite being banned from general use in the Republic of Ireland and some parts of the UK, the glue traps, which are commonly used to catch mice and rats, can still be widely found on sale.

Chani Anderson Julie Cronin has brown hair and is wearing a grey hoodie. She holds a hedgehog in a fleece paw print blanket. — Julie Cronin and her team are licensed by Ireland's National Parks & Wildlife Service to take in animals, rehabilitate them and release them

What is the law in the UK and Republic of Ireland?

In the Republic of Ireland glue traps are not part of the registered traps and snares that can be used in a legal manner under the Wildlife Act.

In England, while they are still on sale, setting a glue trap is illegal.

However, they can be set legally by pest controller with a glue trap licence

In Scotland they are illegal with the exception of those who are "authorised".

In Wales there is a ban on them.

In Northern Ireland there is no restriction on their sale or use.

Sam Bayley, a conservation ranger with the Republic of Ireland's National Parks & Wildlife Service, told BBC News NI more awareness was needed.

"The animal still suffers if caught in this trap and is suffering needlessly and they're not selective so other things could get caught in that trap that aren't intended, as happened recently in Cork," he said.

"People just don't realise as they are legal in other places and if they see them for sale in a shop why would they think any otherwise?"

He said the Irish Pest Control Association could give advice on the correct methods to use.

Warning: The below section contains an image some may find distressing

In Northern Ireland, the USPCA wants to see an outright ban on such traps, saying they are"inhumane and cruel".

Nikkita Heywood/USPCA Nikkita Heywood has long, shoulder length brown hair stares at the camera. Behind her in the blurred background are white slat blinds. — The USPCA's Nikkita Heywood says glue traps are not humane for any animal, including rodents

Nikkita Heywood said the images from Cork were "heartbreaking" and the USPCA has also come across trapped birds.

"We have had a robin brought in that was already passing away - it had broken bones and wings after a frantic struggle," she said.

USPCA A close up of a hand holding a dead robin, below is a piece of kitchen roll. — This robin died as a result of a glue trap, with broken wings and bones

"We are lagging behind here in Northern Ireland," she said

"Any animal that falls victim to them can suffer. Garden birds struggle to the brink of exhaustion and can have a slow and painful death."

She said she had also seen hedgehogs, bats and even domestic animals like cats and dogs trapped by them.

She said while the glue traps are not illegal in NI, it is an offence to cause "unnecessary suffering or prolonged distress".

A spokesperson from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said it is an offence, under the terms of the Wildlife Order 1985, to "intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take any wild bird.

"Glue boards intended for rodent control can impact on other species and careful consideration should be given to potential impacts on non-target species. "