The Còmhla-bhigein was a trap for small bird

Bird

Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...

s in the Uist

Uist

Uist or The Uists are the central group of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.North Uist and South Uist are linked by causeways running via Benbecula and Grimsay, and the entire group is sometimes known as the Uists....

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

in former times. It consisted of a riddle resting on the ground, with one end held up by a stick. Seed was placed under the riddle, and the stick was snatched away by a string attached to it as soon as the birds began to eat the seed.

The basic design of the trap is similar to ones found all over the world.

The name literally means "together" (còmhla), "little bird" (bigean/bigein)