Illegal collection of eggs
Eggs are taken from the wild and traded sometimes across the world. Although this practice is prohibited by several legal instruments, such as the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) and EU Nature Directives, birders have witnessed multiple crimes related to egg collection.
These are often committed for collecting purposes, for hatching the eggs and keeping the birds when the species are difficult to breed in captivity, or for food (mostly sea and water birds). In some cases, the trade of these eggs is highly lucrative, but money is not always the main driver of this crime, as “end consumers” are often collectors, interested in the rarity of the species.
© Tomas Hulik