Larsen trap
Bird trapping device
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Larsen trap is a device used to live trap wildbirds. It is used in avian predator control programs,[1] and in scientific research.[2]
It is essentially a cage with two (or more) compartments. A previously caught magpie or crow is kept in the decoy compartment, and this attracts territory holders who see the decoy as an intruder.[3]
Use in the United Kingdom
The Larsen trap is legal to use in the United Kingdom under general licence.[1] It is the most widely used magpie population control method amongst gamekeepers, magpies are also controlled by conservationists.[4] It is also used to trap magpies by those concerned for the well-being of nesting song-birds.[5]
The decoy bird must be properly cared for according to local regulations.[3] In 2003 the RSPCA successfully appealed an acquittal of a case in which a single decoy magpie was used throughout the summer in a cage which was too small for the bird to stretch its wings, contrary to the Wildlife and Countryside Act.[6]
The law in Scotland permits their use without any training in how to handle and kill birds humanely.[7] Legally set traps are often vandalised.[8]