We’ve had an anonymous report sent in of a ladder trap found in Oxfordshire recently. There were 5 different corvids inside the trap, 2 of whom had already died. The other 3 had no shelter from the blazing sun and other elements and little water (what was there was green and filled with poo). There are also the biosecurity issues of having cow’s hearts dumped in the trap to entice birds to come down to feed…

According to the report the trap was opened and the surviving birds checked over and allowed to fly free. Ladder traps work by having 2 raised areas of roof coming down to a ‘ladder’ style middle where birds can get through the ‘rungs’ whilst landing but are then unable to fly back through (the ends of the ladders are not open, so birds are unable to use their beaks and claws to climb up the sides of the trap and climb out).

For more information on ladder (and other styles of) trap, check out our information pages on traps, snares and pits here.