Galdom is a traditional bird trap invented and used for catching small birds by the Rabha tribe. It excellently exemplifies the indigenous knowledge systems that convert otherwise insignificant materials from the forest into highly functional tools. The trap basically consists of thirty-two short, pointed splits of bamboo tied together with strong jute thread and fastened to finer bamboo strips.
Jute fiber is coiled to form a loop on each bamboo split, thus producing a succession of nooses. When a hapless bird comes to activate it, the nooses begin to close around the prey. The Galdom speaks volumes about the entire Rabha community's fine understanding of local fauna and ecological behavior, being mechanical only in the purely negative sense of that term. The use of natural fibers and locally sourced bamboo makes the bird trap a sustainable environmental tool: it also embodies a way of life very much in tune with the rhythms of nature—one in which survival skills coalesce with craftsmanship.