Tesco abandons plan to shoot rogue wagtail

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/11/tesco-plan-shoot-pied-wagtail

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A pied wagtail that has taken up residence in a Tesco store in Great Yarmouth will keep flying after a plan to shoot the bird ruffled shoppers' feathers.

Despite laying traps, deploying nets and opening windows in recent weeks, supermarket staff had failed to capture the intruder.

Managers had planned to bring in a marksman to shoot the bird on Sunday after the store closed at 4pm in a last-ditch attempt to clip her wings.

However, the plan sparked an outcry on local websites and social media, while television nature presenter Chris Packham flew into the debate on Thursday. He tweeted: "Can I ask you to rethink the shooting of the wagtail in Gt Yarmouth store please. I'm sure the bird could be caught."

Tesco said that it had tried for several weeks to catch the bird without success: "Definitely our preference to catch and release. Any advice welcome."

The retailer followed Packham's suggestion that it contact the British Trust for Ornithology and has now postponed the shooting. It tweeted: "Happy to liaise with BTO, we're going to explore other options over the next few weeks and will keep you updated."

Pied wagtails are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act, with fines of up to £5,000 or six months jail for an unauthorised killing.

Natural England had granted Tesco a licence to shoot the bird over fears that it posed a risk to public health.

The female pied wagtail was spotted in the store on Thursday eating crumbs in its first-floor cafe and perching on a railing before flying off to the clothing department.

Bill Danby, 73, who was shopping in the store, said he was glad the bird was not being shot. "You rarely see a wagtail in the wild, so it was a lovely to see this one here. It has obviously got quite tame and doesn't seem to mind being around lots of people," he said. "I can understand why it should not really be in the store, but I would be much happier if they managed to net it."

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said shooting the bird would not affect the breed's population. The society estimated there are 470,000 breeding pairs of pied wagtails in Britain. They often live near water, but are also found in most habitats, including town centres.