Live and electronic decoys for hunting and bird trapping
The use of live decoys and electronic decoys is widespread in Lebanon. The poachers and trappers use them to lure the birds in front of shotguns and into their traps and nets. While the use of electronic decoys is illegal throughout the Mediterranean, live decoys (of certain species) are allowed in hunting almost everywhere. Not so in Lebanon - here both are punishable!
Live decoys
In Lebanon, live decoy birds are mainly used for bird trapping. Goldfinches, linnets and other finches are placed in small cages by nets and limesticks to attract others of their kind to the trapping sites with their song.
A somewhat rarer occurrence in the Mediterranean is the use of larger birds as decoys for hunting. They have usually survived a kill attempt and are kept in unspeakable conditions to be used at hunting sites during the migration season. Particularly affected are lesser spotted eagles, honey buzzards and white storks, but also cranes.
Electronic decoy caller
Electronic decoy devices - be they MP3 players or simply mobile phones with loudspeakers - are more widespread in Lebanon than in any other operational area. At trapping sites with nets and limesticks warblers songs are played loudly, at shooting sites sometimes more than half of the hunters run decoy devices with the calls of swallows and bee-eaters - depending on what they are about to shoot overhead. During night hunting in spring and autumn, the songs and calls of quails, nightjars and corncrakes are frequently used - the birds get disorientated in the beam of headlights, where they become an easy victim of the waiting poachers. In winter, song thrush calls are used to attract passing birds towards rooftops with illuminated trees where they are shot at even in the middle of the city.
The incessantly running and usually very loud decoys have one advantage: they magically attract not only birds, but also our brave teams. They help to locate illegal trapping sites, especially at night, and thus make our work a little easier.