Received anonymously:
Over the last week cowbird traps located along the Shady Canyon Trail and University Trail in Irvine, CA were sabotaged. In all cases the traps were cut open and the captive cowbirds released back into the wild. It was a joy to see the birds fly free escaping the clutches of human domination.
These traps were set as a part of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Cowbird Trapping Program, which over the last two decades has culled thousands of wild brown-headed cowbirds throughout the Santa Ana Watershed. Although the stated purpose of this cull is to assist in the recovery of local song bird populations, there is no conclusive data that this program has had any positive impact.
Killing is not conservation and as long as the Natural Communities Coalition continues to fund this cruel and wasteful cull, then we will continue to destroy the traps.