An Inexpensive Technique for Capturing Gregarious Wading Birds on their Foraging Grounds

Abstract

A method for trapping adult herons and egrets in foraging habitats is described. This method will give researchers access to adult members of Ardeidae. Over five trapping seasons, Great Egrets (Ardea alba) and Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) (n = 78) were captured in non-tidal areas. The technique used decoys, live bait in basins and modified foot-hold traps. It is not appropriate for catching many birds at one time. The method could be modified for similarly-sized species.