Techniques of Capturing Birds Using Plants by the Forest Dwellers of Purulia, West Bengal

Abstract

Different trapping techniques and devices for capturing birds have been developed over the centuries. Most of the capture techniques utilize bait, decoys and recorded calls to attract birds to trapping sites. Almost there is no report from the plains of India and abroad regarding the use of plants for capturing wild birds. In the present investigation an attempt has been made to explore the traditional knowledge of tribal people for trapping the birds of Purulia district. In the present investigation the trapping strategies and the preparation of adhesive substances for capturing small and medium sized birds from the latex of Ficus benghalensis L., Ficus religiosa L., Ficus rumphii Blume, Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd ex Dell and the fruit pulp of Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f) Etting, are elaborately discussed with photographic documentation. The technique of poisoning of certain birds like heron and king fisher using seeds of Strychnos nuxvomica L. is also documented and presented here. The study explains the sport of bird hunting is very much unsustainable from conservation point of view.