Round-ups of flightless birds

• Generally used to catch geese (on land) or swans (on

Capture techniques: Mist nets, water)

Dazzling and Round-ups • Can be used to catch ducks in certain circumstances (but
far from easy in most cases!)
Avian Influenza preparedness project - Turkey
• Can also be used to catch fully winged birds in confined
16th – 19th & 22nd- 25th October 2007 areas (e.g. swans on small ponds)
Bandirma & Samsun, Turkey
• Basic principle is to drive birds into a corral (pen). A
flexible approach to corral location may be needed.
Robin M. Ward
WWT Slimbridge

Round-ups – pros and cons Round-ups of flightless birds

Pros Cons

Potential to catch large numbers Large experienced team needed

of birds (e.g. thousands of
geese)
Highly portable and little
equipment needed
to surround and process birds
(depending on catch size)
Only suitable for small period of
the year
Some species can be
unpredictable in response (e.g.
Greylag Goose) and thus hard to
catch in certain environments

Round-ups of flightless birds Moulting swans

1
 Moulting swans – key points Mist nets

• Essential that the birds can be captured quickly so that

they do not become exhausted: • Generally unsuitable for wildfowl,
though ducks may be caught in
small numbers under certain
– Boat motor must be powerful enough
circumstances

– Bewick’s Swan efficient diver so net better than crook

• Other specific examples (e.g.
pullus Goosander)
– Whooper and Mute dive rarely so crook effective

Photo: Robin M. Ward

• Also being used in North America
• Need swan jackets to secure birds once in boat to catch small numbers of
seaducks for satellite telemetry
studies

Floating mist nets Dazzling

• Involves capture of birds

at night using bright light
to startle bird and allow
approach with net

• Labour intensive, but

can be suitable for
certain species not
normally caught using
other methods (e.g.
seaducks and grebes)

Other information sources

• There are many other sources of

information:

– Bird Trapping and Bird Banding: A

Handbook for Trapping Methods by
Hans Bub

– Many websites, particularly from North

American organisations for wildfowl
capture

– Literature from national ringing

schemes

– Specialist Group networks