435,000 migratory birds were illegally killed in Cyprus in 2023, up 90,000 from the prior year, driven by demand for "ambelopoulia"

Conservation groups report that illicit trappers in Cyprus killed at least 435,000 migratory birds in the autumn of 2023, marking a 90,000 bird increase compared to the previous year. Demand for birds in the traditional dish "ambelopoulia" remains strong despite a decline in the number of birds being killed annually, which was more than two million a decade ago. Organized crime syndicates use decoys and recorded birdsong to lure small birds like robins and sparrows into traps set in bushes or orchards, catching them using nets or adhesive-covered branches and selling them to restaurants.