Magpie dilemma

[spandit]

Came home today to find that my father-in-law had installed a Larsen trap in the garden with a live magpie in it. My wife was horrified and very upset. On researching the subject, the predation of songbirds by magpies is not that prevalent so I'm not sure whether they need to be controlled in this manner. I'm vehemently opposed to keeping birds caged up anyway - should we let it out?

 

[tom.moran]

is it your garden?

 

[Toddy]

Do you have a real problem with the magpies, and what exactly is he intending to do with any birds he traps ?

Releasing them elsewhere risks them being mobbed and murdered by the resident colony/family in that area.

M

 

[spandit]

It's our garden, we all live here...

I don't see much of a problem with magpies. I did ask him how he'd dispatch any that he caught and I'm not too impressed by the method

 

[tom.moran]

try and discuss it with him, if you all live there and all pay the bills then you all have a say

 

[Toddy]

It's one of those very, very emotive subjects

However, legally, I believe a licence is required from Natural England, and........

"All Larsen trapping operations must be carried out for a purpose. Simply hating Crows for example is not a valid reason."

and there are 'approved' methods of killing the trapped birds too.
The caged bird must also be cared for in an approved manner while alive.

Maybe FIL needs to have a good think about all this.

Personally I find the local magpie population a pain in the neck every Summer when they herrie the blackbirds,etc. Don't think I could be bothered with a Larson trap though.

atb,
M

 

[spandit]

I think it's covered by the general licence but magpies eating songbirds is hardly a new phenomenon - I think I'd rather just try to give the songbirds better cover (which I have done by planting lots of hawthorn etc.)

 

[Macaroon]

Magpies can be a really bad nuisance here, as well, but I could never rest easy with myself if I killed them, however humanely; they're part of what's here in an environment that we have created, and I don't think we have the right to kill 'em.

I would deal with it, and do, in the same way as you do, by providing the songbirds with safe cover.

 

[widu13]

Spanders, Maggies ARE a problem around here. Seen plenty of lambs without eyes. Give me a bell mate.

 

[daveO]

General licence still requires a justified reason to control birds though as far as I'm aware and as said the (possibly slightly biased) BTO found no evidence of magpie numbers affecting song bird populations in their studies.

"These [general] licences allow species to be managed in certain specific circumstances where there is clear evidence that they are causing problems and non lethal methods have failed."

Numbers of magpies seem really high this year, I've seen up to 20 of them in one field in this area over the winter.

 

[British Red]

Its legal to use a Larsen trap provided the terms of the general licence have been met. Its a shame if its distressing to your wife, but vermin control is part of land management and always will be. Perhaps discuss the trap placement with your FIL if the problem is seeing the trap?

The good part of live catch traps is that they ensure clean despatch and non target species can be released unharmed. It is a fairly humane method in that respect. As for keeping animals in cages, I don't like it - but it is common from rabbits to gerbils - and I can't see a Larsen trap as more cruel than a child keeping a hamster in a cage or a pensioner keeping a canary.

 

[spandit]

I'm just not convinced they constitute a problem round here. I take the point about lambs, though.