Hey Irish S,
where in the country are you? would it be possible to get a magpie(live) from you when you get another one for my trap? I cant seem to get one around here, thier too careful.
PM me if you can, Cheers.

If you can't lay your hands on any springs for the job then Solway feeders do them.

Mallards.

kaizersoze1980 wrote: »

why do magpies go into these traps? what bait do you put in?

At this time of year,Magpies and Greycrows are breeding,so they become aggressive about their territory,any intruding bird that enters their area,will be unwelcome and chased away.The purpose of the trap is that it keeps this intruder stationary,when the resident pair hear the decoy bird cackling/crowing they try to chase it away,on approaching the trap they see a chance to attack the callbird and drop down on the split perch,which gives way under their weight and the trap springs shut.
To catch your first bird,create a nest in one of the catching compartments,using dried grass or hay and some hen eggs,break an egg on top of the trap to arouse their interest.
Avoid visiting the trap during daylight hors,as any uncaught birds watching from trees will become wary and will avoid being caught.
Provide the callbird with fresh water daily and feed with dogfood,Lidl do sausage type,cheap and tasty,,the callbird will be more lively and call actively when fed.

I have 2 large holding cages, one made from 2inch mesh (the exact same as above) and one of 1 inch mesh and i can say for defo that some smaller magpies can get through the 2inch stuff!