• Waterfowl are not generally considered "dangerous", however they may use their bill, feet and wings in defence.
• Improper handling of waterfowl risks traumatic injuries.

• Catching of birds may be facilitated by designing feeding, perching or roosting areas to be easily closed off while they are in use by the birds; this is particularly important when birds are kept in large areas.
• Various sizes of nets are useful for catching a wide variety of bird species. Net mesh size should be sufficiently small to minimize the risk of entanglement; thin cloth may be preferable to mesh for very small birds. A net with a padded rim is useful particularly with smaller birds to reduce the risk of injury if the bird is caught between the rim and a solid object.
• A piece of cloth of appropriate size, such as a towel, may be dropped over a bird which is on the ground and may also be used in the capture of birds which are in a box on cage.
• The use of gloves may be appropriate with some species such as raptors. However, the loss of sensitivity associated with gloves must be remembered. In particular, the use of gloves should be avoided when handling small birds.
• When possible, birds may be driven or lured into a smaller space for catching. The safety porch of an aviary may be used for this purpose: with the outer door carefully locked and the inner door opened, one or several birds are encouraged to enter the safety porch, after which a person with a net and a cage, as appropriate, carefully slips into the area to catch the birds. It is likely to be easier to drive birds into a safety porch if this is sited in a corner of the aviary, so that the birds may be driven along one side of the netting.
• A safety porch may also be used to catch an escaped bird. In this case the inner door is secured and the outer door left open, with food and water placed inside the safety porch. An observer watches from an unobtrusive vantage point and waits to close the door once the bird is inside. Extra care must be employed to ensure the bird does not escape back out of the outer door if this must be opened to allow someone inside to open the inner door.
• In large open enclosures, when catching birds which are unable to fly (e.g. moulting, pinioned, naturally flightless), it may be possible to herd the birds into a smaller area such as a corner temporarily blocked off by netting, prior to catching.
• Catching fully flighted birds in very large aviaries may be extremely difficult. Consideration should be given to designing the aviary in such a way that birds can easily be caught by being trapped in feeding or roosting areas.

(B36.4.w4, B105.16.w3, B123, V.w5)

• Catching waterfowl on a lake may require several people, on land and in boats (B16.19.w1). N.B. catching wild waterfowl, particularly diving ducks, on water, is extremely difficult.
• A long-handled deep net is useful for catching waterfowl (B40, B108). The size of net and mesh should be matched to the size of the bird being caught. A padded rim may reduce the risk of injury if a bird is caught under the rim of the net, but may also become waterlogged and heavy (V.w5).
• A large piece of cloth, such as a large towel or a coat, may also be dropped over the bird if it is on land (V.w5).
• Swans and geese may be caught using a swan hook to grasp the neck, quickly followed by grasping the base of the wings, then holding the body with wings folded. However, birds may be wary of poles and avoid them. It is also possible to catch a goose or swan in a similar manner by hand, with one hand grasping the neck just behind the head, and the second hand grasping the base of one or both wings, prior to gathering the wings up with the body.
• A catching cage may be constructed in an enclosure, with a funnel entrance and food inside as bait. This may be particularly useful for catching diving ducks (B108). Catching cages may also be used for catching wild birds for ringing (B122).
• Traditionally, a "decoy" may be used. A decoy is a curving "pipe" of water, covered with netting held up by semi-circular pipes, leading from a pond. The pipe tapers down from a wide tall entrance and traditionally several pipes would be built around one pond, so that whichever pipe lead best into the wind could be used. Waterfowl may be enticed into the pipe using food, or utilizing resident ducks such as call ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus - Domestic duck), or a small trained dog, making use of the tendency of waterfowl, particularly dabbling ducks, on water to swim towards such a potential predator. A series of screens alongside the pipe hide the decoy-man from the birds on the main area of water, but allow him to be seen by the ducks in the pipe if he wishes. It is therefore possible, once the birds have entered the pipe, to drive them further along it without disturbing birds still on the pond. Originally designed to catch ducks for eating, decoys have been used more recently to catch waterfowl for banding (B122).
• Catching waterfowl by driving them into funnels may be employed particularly during the flightless period of the moult (P12.10).
• Cannon nets are also used to catch wild waterfowl for ringing, or during disease investigation & control operations (B36.4.w4, B122).
• For catching oiled seabirds such as scoters (Melanitta spp.), one method which has been found useful is to catch the birds on shore just before dawn at low tide. This reduces the chance of the ducks detecting the catchers and increases the distance the birds must move to reach the water where they can escape. The catchers preferably approach the birds from the west so that they are hidden as much as possible and have an increased opportunity to spot the birds against the lightening sky. One person walks along the water's edge, the other at the high tide mark. When a bird is spotted it may be possible to approach and grab it, sometimes assisted by momentarily dazzling the bird with a torch (flashlight), or if the approach of the person at high tide "flushes" the bird, it may be caught by the other person before it reaches the water. Catching with a towel or a landing net was suggested (P14.5.w6).
• An alternative to catching and holding for moving some large aggressive species (e.g. Cereopsis novaehollandiae - Cape Barren goose) short distances is to use "kick-boards" - wooden boards on handles, kept between the person and the bird and used to usher it in the required direction (N1.99.w1).

• P12.10: The Management of Problems caused by Canada Geese - A Guide to Best Practice

• Methods used for holding and carrying birds vary greatly depending on the bird species involved. There are also some differences depending on whether the bird is wild or tame and its individual temperament. Control of the head, limbs and body must be considered.
• It is important to consider both the potential health risks both for the bird and the person holding it.
• N.B. Long-legged birds should be carried with the legs held out behind the bird, held at the hocks and with one or more fingers between the legs to ensure they do not rub against one another. After the legs have been extended it may be possible to fold them gently under the body, but this should not be forced and they should not be kept folded for long periods of time: long legged birds held with the legs folded for prolonged periods may never be able to stand up again and have to be euthanased.
• Risks to the bird:

• Holding the body too tightly - interference with respiration
• Carrying by the wings - brachial paralysis, wing fracture
• Wings allowed to flap or strain excessively - wing fracture, feather damage, capture myopathy
• Legs - fracture, capture myopathy, particular problems of long-legged birds, potential for self-injury (e.g. ripping neck open with claws while struggling).

• Risks to the holder:

• Biting - particularly parrots, although many species can give a nasty pinch.
• Legs - scratching, penetration of claws (particularly raptors), kicking - ratites.
• Wings - particularly large birds such as geese and swans. Note some species have a carpal spur or spurs on the wings.

• N.B. Long-billed species such as herons, rails etc. may stab with their bill and this should be treated with respect. A ball of bandage, cork or other blunt object may be taped over the tip of the bill to reduce the potential for injury. Goggles may be worn to protect the eyes when catching and holding long-billed birds.

(B123)

• Waterfowl are not generally difficult to hold or carry, although they may peck, scratch and hit with their wings. The mergansers (sawbills) have serrated bills which may rip skin and tree-nesting species such as perching ducks commonly have long toe nails. In general the risk to the handler from the wings is greater with the larger species of geese and swans, although the presence of carpal spurs (e.g. on the spur-winged goose) may increase the hazard to the handler.
• Swans and geese may be safely carried tucked under one arm, with the head facing backwards and the legs supported by the person's hands. It is important to ensure the wings are safely restrained, while keeping the head behind the carrier reduces the risk of damage to tender areas of the handler, particularly . Large ducks may be carried in a similar manner. Smaller ducks may be carried with both hands grasping around the body, holding the wings and pinning the legs backwards; with very small ducks this may also be possible with one hand. Very small ducks may be carried by holding the base of the wings, with a finger kept between the wings, although temporary or permanent brachial paralysis has been reported following the use of this method for heavier species (see: Brachial Paralysis).

• Swan bags have been designed specifically for holding swans and are simple to use, with Velcro closures. A pillowcase with one corner cut off may be used in a similar manner, with the swan's head and neck brought out of the pillowcase through the corner hole and the rest of the case drawn over the body and tied shut.

(B10.26.w3, B11.33.w1, B13.46.w1, B16.19.w1, B123, V.w5 )

• --

• Boxes or crates for transport should be suitable in size and strength of construction for the species being transported.
• If birds are to be transported by air it is important to consult the International Animal Transport Association (IATA) regulations on crates (B56).
• N.B. Sufficient height should be provided for long-legged birds to stand upright: Long legged-birds (e.g. herons, cranes, flamingoes) transported sitting down (i.e. legs folded) for any length of time may never stand up again and have to be euthanased.
• A soft top e.g. of sacking, or a false ceiling of sacking a short distance (a few cm) below the rigid top of the crate may be useful to avoid trauma to the bird's head during transport.
• Except in the case of very short journeys, provision must be made for feeding and watering.

• Crates should be designed to keep waterfowl clean and dry during transport (B7).
• Hay and straw have frequently been used as bedding materials for transporting waterfowl. However, there is a risk of aspergillosis (Aspergillosis in Birds) from mouldy straw or hay, and hay may become tangled around the legs. Wood shavings carry less risk of aspergillosis, but fine shavings/ sawdust may be kicked up in transport, particularly if the bird is nervous and e.g. flapping its wings, and may irritate the eyes and respiratory tract. Shredded paper is clean, mould-free and breaks easily if wrapped around the legs. Additionally, it is easy to inspect for blood staining and for noting any abnormal droppings.
• Waterfowl which have been in crates for several days may have soiled feathers; this interferes with waterproofing and the birds may become wet when let out onto water, and drown (Drowning) or die from chilling (Chilling / Hypothermia). Such birds must be rescued and dried, and gradually reintroduced to water. (B7)
• For short journeys (e.g. a few hours in a car), stout cardboard boxes are often used. The size and temperament of the birds should be considered before using cardboard boxes rather than wooden crates or plastic sky-kennel type boxes for transporting waterfowl. Even for short journeys, some bedding such as shredded paper is advisable to reduce the risk of soiling (N1.99.w1).
• N.B. For long journeys, crates should be designed to allow feeding and watering.
• If birds are to be transported by air it is important to consult the the International Animal Transport Association (IATA) regulations on crates suitable for waterfowl. (B56)

Oral sedatives:

• In certain circumstances sedation with an orally absorbed drug may be an appropriate means of waterfowl capture. This method may be used to capture an individual bird (e.g. one duck in a park situation), using a bait which can be targeted at that individual, such as a piece of bread, or a group of waterfowl, for example by using baited grain.
• In using oral bait to sedate/anaesthetize waterfowl for capture it is particularly important to ensure that the bird(s) are watched closely with rapid intervention to prevent drowning or attack by other individuals. This method must be used with extreme caution if the possibility exists that the birds may fly away from the site between ingestion of the drug and it having its effect.
• Other potential hazards include a lack of control over the amount of drug consumed by each individual, variability in the responses of different individuals to a given dose (possible effects of age, sex, health status and degree of stress), and effects on non-target species consuming the bait.
• Additionally, there is little data on the effects of orally administered immobilizing agents on behaviour, physiology and survival.
• The possibility of residues must also be considered if birds may be used for human consumption.

(see: Oral Sedation of Waterfowl)

(J2.8.w1, J4.161.w1, B36.4.w4, B123)

• Treatment and Care - Anaesthesia & Chemical Restraint
• Oral Sedation of Waterfowl