Over the past week hunters were already targeting Turtle-doves illegally – days before the season even opened. 💔 Protected birds like Nightjars, Common Kestrels and Bee-eaters were also shot. This is what our Spring Watch teams witnessed across Malta and Gozo. #SpringWatch #TurtleDove #StopIllegalHunting #BirdLifeMalta

🧐 Meta r-riċerka tidħol fil-bagoll 🧐 Taqa' l-maskra tal-insib tal-għasafar tal-għana bl-iskuża tar-riċerka —grazzi għar-rapporti li saru lill-pulizija tal-EPU li intervjenew li salvaw l-għasafar. Tkellem favur in-natura. Għinna nipproteġu l-għasafar billi tirrapporta dawn ir-reati. Flimkien, nistgħu nagħmlu d-differenza. #CittadiniKONTRAlinsib 🧐 When research fits in the trunk 🧐 Illegal finch trapping disguised as "research" exposed—thanks to vigilant reporting, the EPU stepped in to rescue the birds. Speak up for nature! Help us protect birds by reporting such crimes. Together, we can make a difference. #CitizensAGAINSTtrapping

BirdLife Malta yesterday recovered a severely injured black stork, a highly protected and rare visitor species, found near the Prime Minister’s summer residence in Girgenti after being illegally shot. Another black stork was reportedly killed in Ta' Ċenċ, Gozo. BirdLife Malta highlights that demand for such protected species persists due to unverified taxidermy amnesties, which allowed hunters to retain or transfer taxidermy collections. With limited resources for enforcement, authorities face challenges curbing illegal hunting practices. BirdLife Malta criticises the government’s inaction, urging for stronger wildlife protection enforcement to preserve Malta’s natural heritage. Read our full press release here: bit.ly/ShotBlackStorkPR

Ending finch trapping benefits conservation and biodiversity in Malta dlvr.it/TDNpZp

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗞𝗡𝗞 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗢𝘄𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴! Not even birds released by the hunters themselves are being spared from illegal hunting this autumn hunting season! This Barn Owl (Barbaġann) that forms part of a reintroduction project managed by @FKNKMALTA was illegally shot over the past few days, ending up in the grounds of a school. The injured bird – with an evident gunshot injury to its right wing – was found at St Dorothy’s School in Ħaż-Żebbuġ. The bird was found by a member of the public and handed over to BirdLife Malta on Monday 18th December. Following an examination by the @MaltaGov vet, it was today confirmed that the bird was suffering from a gunshot wound, leading to a broken right wing. The bird has a ring on its left leg bearing the details “024-BORP”. The reading of the ring highlights the fact that it is from the FKNK’s project, with the letters BORP standing for “Barn Owl Reintroduction project”. This reintroduction project led by FKNK since 2018 is funded by the Government through the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU), and its objective is to re-establish the species that was exterminated by illegal hunting throughout the years. Various pairs of #BarnOwl used to breed in Malta and Gozo regularly until the eighties. The Barn Owls are bred and reared in captivity in a facility in Buskett, before then being released back into the wild where it is hoped that these beautiful birds will then breed once again across the Maltese Islands. Sadly for this particular bird, this opportunity was cut short due to illegal hunting which – as clearly llustrated by this incident – remains rampant and indiscriminatory, with hunters targeting anything that flies, especially during open hunting seasons such as the ongoing season that runs until the end of January 2024. BirdLife Malta CEO @marksult123 stated: “This incident, which is just part of the tip of the iceberg of what happens with illegal hunting in Malta, reminds us how destructive hunting is and how backwards in time we have gone when even the efforts of the hunting lobby to greenwash hunters’ activities, gets stained red in blood literally by hunters themselves. This is a far cry from true conservation!”

‼ 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 ‼ More blood on their hands. As migration of birds of prey tallies off, we keep receiving shot ones! This morning, residents of St Vincent de Paul were shocked to the find of an injured #Osprey at their residence in Luqa. The bird was found injured with both wings broken as a result of shotgun injuries, as a visit to the vet later confirmed. Birds of prey like this Osprey rank high on taxidermy wanted lists as recent changes in law by Minister @ClintCamilleri allow such bird specimens to be transferred in between hunters’ bird collections. This bird’s journey, possibly originating from northern Europe, has been cut short as a result. Nothing exemplifies more the international impact that such policies have on European birds than in the second case. Yesterday a shot #CommonKestrel bearing a metal ring originating from Finland, was rescued from Wardija. We are awaiting updates from our Finnish Euring partners for further details on this bird, which was confirmed by the @MaltaGov vets as suffering from multiple lead pellets in its body. These are just two of a number of illegal hunting casualties recovered by BirdLife Malta in the past weeks. In fact, since the last update about the ongoing autumn hunting season that we shared in the first week of October, we’ve also recovered a European Turtle-dove shot down after the season for Turtle-dove hunting closed, a Western Marsh-harrier, a European Honey-buzzard, another Common Kestrel, a Montagu’s Harrier and a Eurasian Thick-knee. The Osprey recovered this morning is the third one recovered by BirdLife Malta and Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) police this season. @BirdlifeSuomi @BirdLifeEurope @BirdLife_News

Second illegally shot bird recovered in 24 hours. #MarshHarrier found at Għar Lapsi on Sunday confirmed as an illegal hunting casualty by the government vet. The protected bird of prey was received on the same day as the #GreaterFlamingo found at sea in Gozo, also confirmed shot.

‼ 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 ‼ 𝗜𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗼 🦩 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗼𝘇𝗼. The adult #flamingo, with a visible gunshot injury under the wing, was found at sea off the Gozo coast between Xlendi & Mġarr ix-Xini and was brought to shore with the assistance of members of the public. Incidentally the bird was found on the first day of the hunting season at sea. Watch the adult bird being retrieved by BirdLife Malta Head of Conservation @nik_barbara some time ago at Mġarr Harbour.

It hasn't taken that long for yet another Osprey (Arpa) to fall victim to the ongoing hunting season of illegalities. This afternoon an #Osprey with visibly dangling legs and colour rings was observed over Buskett. The bird, after being shot somewhere in the vicinity, attempted to settle on one of the trees near Buskett. Unable to use its legs, the bird tried hard holding onto a branch until it eventually tumbled down the tree to the ground. Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) police officers on site reached the bird with the help of birdwatchers and took the bird immediately to the veterinary clinic. The diagnosis was clear. Lead pellets had shattered both legs beyond any chance of recovery. The bird is a juvenile one that started its life some months ago in Latvia, on its first journey to Africa for winter. Its journey has however been cut short as a direct result of the state of impunity that hunting is in. Years back a 3pm curfew protected these birds from being hunted down as they arrive to Malta to rest for the night. Yet currently most of the hunting that is witnessed in the afternoon is simply on such protected species. This is the second illegally shot Osprey recovered in less than a week following the Osprey recovered by our staff at Għadira Nature Reserve after the bird landed injured on one of the islands within the reserve, succumbing to its injuries on Sunday. Most of these birds originate from Baltic and Scandinavian countries where intense conservation efforts are expended to help this species thrive. Current government policies are wasting away such European efforts simply to appease a hunting lobby to kill more of such species.

Illegal #hunting incidents keep occurring on a daily basis on all species that are currently migrating over the Maltese Islands. Not even no-hunting zones like the bird sanctuaries of Buskett and Għadira are enough to keep birds safe from illegal hunting, with four shot birds recovered from such protected areas over the past week. This includes an incident of a hunter intercepted by a member of the public shooting at a #BeeEater inside Buskett on the 18th September, with the bird retrieved and passed on to the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU). An injured #Nightjar was recovered the day after also from Buskett. Yesterday our staff at Għadira Nature Reserve recovered a shot #Osprey after the bird landed injured on one of the islands within the reserve, succumbing to its injuries on Sunday. A #YellowLeggedGull has had a similar fate after a dead bird was retrieved at Salina Nature Reserve yesterday. All birds were confirmed by the @MaltaGov vet as having suffered shotgun injuries. These four birds are on top of another two shot Bee-eaters recovered from Ħal Far and Siġġiewi, on the 19th and 23rd September respectively. Police also recovered an illegally shot #CollaredDove from Qormi on the 18th. Earlier this morning at Tal-Ħandaq, one of our teams witnessed a #GreyHeron being shot down in front of them. Luckily the bird was quickly rescued before hunters got to it, and the bird has already been admitted to rehab suffering from multiple lead pellets, as diagnosed by the vets. Illegal hunting incidents during the ongoing autumn hunting season are to be reported to BirdLife Malta on 21347645 or 7925 5697, or to 119 asking for the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) of The Malta Police Force. Here is a video summing up some of the illegal hunting casualties recovered by BirdLife Malta and police since our last update on the 18th of the month. 📷 BirdLife Malta, editing by Nathaniel Attard.