Song Birds As Food Delicacy

I just learned about this trend occurring in parts of Southern Europe. Song birds are trapped and sold to eating establishments where they are prepared as a delicacy. They are killing millions of birds for this purpose.

Bird Life: Migratory birds served in Cypriot restaurants

Trappers usually target Song Thrushes Turdus philomelos or migrant birds such as Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, which are then served in restaurants as ambelopoulia 'delicacies', for up to five Euros a piece. The trapping methods are so indiscriminate that up to 100 species of bird are known to have been captured.


"Bird trapping is coming back to haunt us in a big way and the reason is the same as it has always been: there is a lot of money to be made out of it, and it will continue as long as restaurants are allowed to break the law”, said Hellicar. The banned bird delicacies remain widely available, because in 2008 only 9 restaurateurs were charged for serving ambelopoulia.