An exotic bird lures trappers to Gaza’s tense frontier

By FARES AKRAM
Associated Press

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Dozens of Palestinians have taken up bird trapping in recent years, capturing parakeets along the heavily guarded frontier with Israel and selling them to pet shops. It’s a rare if meager source of income in Gaza, which has been under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade since the militant Hamas group seized power 15 years ago. The ring-necked parakeet is an invasive species of tropical bird that has proliferated in Israel and the Palestinian territories in recent years. In Gaza, the bright green birds with red beaks are sought-after as caged songbirds. It can be a dangerous occupation, as Israeli troops closely monitor the frontier and open fire at suspected militants.