The July 26, 2010 issue of the New Yorker has a story about songbirds trapped in southern Europe, specifically Cyprus, in order to make a Cypriot dish known as “ambelopoulia.”
This dish is shown at right. It’s considered a delicacy, and it’s expensive. That’s why trapping the birds is so attractive, despite the fact that, according to the New Yorker, all forms of songbird trapping have been illegal since 1974 in Cyprus.
The birds are trapped by fine nets, or by what are called “lime sticks” – perches fixed in forests and fields, smeared with a glue-like substance. The birds land on them to rest, and are stuck by their feet. Some hang upside down for hours, or longer. Yet the practice continues. Poachers gather the birds, which are then pickled or grilled and sold in restaurants. Any literally bite-sized bird will do.
The International Animal Rescue and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter are actively working against this practice and are trying to expose the trappers to the world.
It’s especially sad to me because, some years back, EarthSky interviewed a scientist about the fact that birds – among all creatures on Earth – are less likely to be affected by human encroachment due to their ability to fly. In this instance, though, even flying doesn’t help save the birds.
This practice is surely as old as humanity itself. Yet – in the millions of years of past human history, when nature seemed infinite – the trapping and eating of songbirds must have seemed more justifiable.
On a world with 6.8 billion human inhabitants, trapping songbirds in order to eat them is hard to understand.
There are two kind of races on this planet,inhuman and human.
Gail, interesting turns of phrase. Thank you.
I guess I think of it as aware versus unaware …
That’s my hope at least – that maybe more awareness could cause some to change behavior …
we live in a world of human entitlement
Definitely.
I had a conversation about valuing human wants and needs over other species with a friend just yesterday. Certainly, we need to eat, and it’s great to eat delicious things (assuming these birds are delicious). But we also need to consider the costs to the future. The people who are trapping songbirds probably think that no one will miss a songbird or two. But if the entire species disappears, or more than one species disappears, what will the effects be on the ecosystem? And what will the effects be on our human system that relies on it? Humans may end up living less rich lives in a generation because of the short-sightedness of eating a few delicacies today.
Same thing with shark fins.
Yes, or tigers, which are hunted for use in Oriental medicine.
Or take the example of the American buffalo. I believe they were hunted primarily for their tongues, which – like songbirds – were considered a delicacy. Buffalo aren’t extinct, but they are certainly diminished.
Or the passenger pigeon, which people used to shoot for fun, because they were thought to be too numerous to ever disappear. I was also wondering if we think more now about species extinction than we did in the past – are we more aware now of the consequences than previous generations?
I tried to read this article last night, but found it too depressing.
Is it too much to ask for a little more reverence and appreciation for our fellow creatures? Sad to say, it seems that it is . . .
It is a propensity of humans to destroy the beauty of nature, perhaps out of some notion of subjugation. Some would argue that it is often out of need but most of what I have witnessed in my lifetime has been out of selfishness.
i think all tourist brouchers should have an article about the countries that trap song birds, so that the tourist’s are aware, they can chose to visit such countries and made aware what AMBELPOULIA is, then prehaps the countries concerned will legistrate against such disgusting behaviour against our beautiful song birds
Wild, often endangered, birds caught in horrifying and barbaric ways, to be served illegally, yet openly, in restaurants where people pay lots of money to eat them – preferably whole because they have not been degutted (how repulsive is that?!)
It all beggars belief.