Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS)
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Limesticks on Cyprus
Species affected by trapping
Like almost all other bird traps limesticks are non-selective - they catch whatever lands on them. The limesticks on Cyprus are set out in an environment very important for migrant birds in the Eastern Mediterranean - an extremely barren landscape in which every bush and tree are used as resting places. The limesticks are also cunningly placed to provide tempting perches for the birds. The result is that every year more than two million birds of 40 different species, the populations of some of which are highly endangered, get stuck on the sticks and end up in the pot to be served as delicacies
Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) 
Bonelli’s Warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli)
The following 51 bird species have been found to date stuck on limesticks during our bird protection camps on Cyprus.
| Species | scientific name |
|---|---|
| Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus |
| Montagu’s Harrier | Circus pygargus |
| Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus |
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus |
| Scops Owl | Otus scops |
| Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus |
| Nightjar | Caprimulgus europaeus |
| Bee-eater | Merops apiaster |
| Hoopoe | Upupa epops |
| Wryneck | Jynx torquilla |
| Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur |
| Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto |
| Thrush Nightingale | Luscinia luscinia |
| Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos |
| Robin | Erithacus rubecula |
| Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra |
| Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus |
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla |
| Barred Warbler | Sylvia nisoria |
| Sardinian Warbler | Sylvia melanocephala |
| Spectacled Warbler | Sylvia conspicillata |
| Subalpine Warbler | Sylvia cantillans |
| Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Sylvia curruca |
| Whitethroat | Sylvia communis |
| Orphean Warbler | Sylvia hortensis |
| Cyprus Warbler | Sylvia melanothorax |
| Dunnock | Prunella modularis |
| Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus |
| Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus |
| Olivaceous Warbler | Hippolais pallida |
| Icterine Warbler | Hippolais icterina |
| Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus |
| Bonelli’s Warbler | Phylloscopus bonelli |
| Wood Warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| Spanish Sparrow | Passer hispaniolensis |
| Long-tailed Tit | Aegithalos caudatus |
| Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca |
| Collared Flycatcher | Ficedula albicollis |
| Semi-collared Flycatcher | Ficedula semitorquata |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata |
| Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator |
| Red-backed Shrike | Lanius collurio |
| Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus |
| Great Tit | Parus major |
| Coal Tit | Parus ater |
| Greenfinch | Carduelis chloris |
| Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis |
Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) 
Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
Other affected wildlife
As well as birds, three reptile species are found regularly on limesticks on Cyprus:
Chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) 
Aegean Bogenfingergecko (Cyrtodactylus kotschyi)
| Common Chameleon | Chamaeleo chamaeleon |
| Aegean Bogenfingergecko | Cyrtodactylus kotschyi |
| Large Whip Snake | Coluber (Hierophis) jugularis |
Records dating back to 1967 show that a total of 122 bird species have been found on limesticks and in mist nets on Cyprus.
A full annotated joint report by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter and Friends of the Earth Cyprus, with English, Greek and scientific names, as well as conservation status, can be downloaded below.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Species Affected & Conservation Status - CABS & FoECY.pdf | 147.27 KB |
