Easy to Build Bird Traps

Humanely trapping a bird is sometimes necessary for a variety of reasons. If your pet has "flown the coop" and you have to recapture it, you can make simple bird traps from household items, his cage or light nets called "mist nets." It is important that the trap be designed so that the possibility of injury to the bird is minimized. The key to trapping the bird is making it confident enough to enter the trap. You can hand-trigger the trap or use a simple weight trigger.

  1. Box and a Stick

    • Believe it or not, you can actually trap a bird with a box, a stick and a piece of string. Use a cardboard box with a completely open top. Turn it over on the ground and prop one side open with a stick--chopstick or pencil size will work well. Tie a long string to the stick. Put birdseed, breadcrumbs or bird treats on the ground inside the box, leaving a little trail leading outside the box where the bird can see the bait. The farther away from the box you can be, the less suspicious the bird will be. When the bird enters the box to eat the bait, pull the string. The box will fall and trap the bird. If you try this once and the bird escapes, don't bother trying it again--the bird probably won't go near the box.

    His Own Cage

    • Tie a long string or thread to a toothpick. Raise the door to the cage and stick the toothpick in so it holds the door up. Put bird food or treats in the cage. Retreat to an inconspicuous place and wait for the bird to enter the cage. Pull the string and the toothpick will fall out and the door will fall.

    Weight Triggers

    • You can make a simple weight trigger that will cause the door to shut when the bird steps on a panel in the trap. Rig the toothpick to hold the cage door open just as you would with the hand-triggered trap. Run the thread or string from the toothpick tautly over the top wires of the cage and down from the top of the cage straight to the bottom. Use a stiff piece of cardboard for the trigger panel. Make it large enough for the bird to stand on to get his treat. On the bottom of one end of the cardboard, tape or glue a spacer about 1/2-inch to 1 inch high. Tie the string or thread to the other end of the panel so the string holds that end of the panel up the same height as the spacer at the other end. Adjust the toothpick so it is just barely holding the door open--you want any pressure on the panel to pull the string down and pull the toothpick out so the door closes. Test with your finger a few times to make sure the string is the right length and the toothpick comes out easily. Bait the trap, set the toothpick and leave the area. Check from a distance frequently to make sure the bird is caught safely.

    Mist Nets

    • Mist nets are used by professionals who capture wild birds for tagging and other research. They require permits and the user must be familiar with their safe usage before attempting to capture birds. Mist nets are nearly invisible and are placed in areas that birds are likely to fly. They have to be attended carefully and skill is required to handle trapped birds to avoid injuring or killing them.