Cyprus-Forum.com

[CyprusNewsReport]

This kind of coverage doesn't do Cyprus' image any good. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/810287 ... eaten.html

And by the way, it's a barbaric practice to kill endangered species

Songbirds add such a beautiful sound to the countryside, but they are all pretty much silent now. Between the hunters banging away with their shotguns and the poachers with their horrible glue sticks, they'll be driven away.

[miltiades]

This kind of coverage doesn't do Cyprus' image any good. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/810287 ... eaten.html

And by the way, it's a barbaric practice to kill endangered species

Songbirds add such a beautiful sound to the countryside, but they are all pretty much silent now. Between the hunters banging away with their shotguns and the poachers with their horrible glue sticks, they'll be driven away.

I entirely agree , its about time those that break not only the law of the land but also the unwritten laws of nature are dealt with severely. These birds are killed foe half a mouthfull of meat so that the peasants who eat them , yes the peasants , can boast how many ambelopoulia they ate and how delicious they were. Bullshit to that . Stop the killing now you bloody ignorant barbies !!

[CyprusNewsReport]

This kind of coverage doesn't do Cyprus' image any good. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/810287 ... eaten.html

And by the way, it's a barbaric practice to kill endangered species

Songbirds add such a beautiful sound to the countryside, but they are all pretty much silent now. Between the hunters banging away with their shotguns and the poachers with their horrible glue sticks, they'll be driven away.

I entirely agree , its about time those that break not only the law of the land but also the unwritten laws of nature are dealt with severely. These birds are killed foe half a mouthfull of meat so that the peasants who eat them , yes the peasants , can boast how many ambelopoulia they ate and how delicious they were. Bullshit to that . Stop the killing now you bloody ignorant barbies !!

Yes, you're right, they do boast about it; as if it's something to be proud of. I was at a social event recently where people were boasting about how they got hold of ambelopoulia and how much they paid for them. Imagine that they paid one euro per tiny little bird; in the middle of a recession!

Another weird fact - Swallows are almost sacred and nobody ever touches them, but ambelopoulia are massacred annually.

[Gasman]

Another weird fact - Swallows are almost sacred and nobody ever touches them, but ambelopoulia are massacred annually.

Superstition often goes hand in hand with ignorance.

[alex_ruffneck]

Are they actually nice to eat?

[supporttheunderdog]

I am aware the poor dead birds are sold in resturants: personally I would seek to close down any establishment selling illegal produce.

[miltiades]

Are they actually nice to eat?

I offer my opinion as a true MEZEKLIS , or a food addict !!!
They are not the least tasty . I love lambs testucles , ameletita as they are known in Cyprus , I love zalatina , quails eggs , foie gras , and yes I love a good portion of Sevruga all washed down with Gods gift to men , wine !
The little birds are eaten by the mostly uncouth type of a Cypriot usualy a heavy smoker too who picks his nose while eating his little ....delicacy !!!

[Hermes]

Are they actually nice to eat?

An acquired taste. Personally, I think they taste foul and god knows what strange organisms and parasites they contain. Some people seem to like them though... probably because they're illegal!

[Get Real!]

Are they actually nice to eat?

They’re mostly fat… disgusting actually!

[CBBB]

Just for fun I will re-post the Wikipedia link which shows that these are not an endangered species.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackcap

The article says they are of least concern.

"Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to Extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or (prior to 2001) Conservation Dependent. Many common species such as the Rock Pigeon, Common Juniper, Snail Kite, Sacred Kingfisher and House Mouse, as well as humans, are assigned the Least Concern category."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_Concern

Personally I think they are best pickled.