Bird crime in Malta, videos

This BirdLife Malta video says about itself:

4 September 2017

After only three days of the 2017 autumn hunting season, we already have the first known victim – an injured European Bee-eater (Qerd in-Naħal) which was shot at Ħal Għaxaq yesterday.

The shot bird – a protected species – was found by people enjoying a Sunday walk yesterday evening. It was found crawling on the ground unable to fly. After being recovered by BirdLife Malta yesterday, this morning it was taken to the vet’s clinic for a veterinary visit. An X-ray was taken and it confirmed a fracture to bird’s right wing as a result of shotgun injury. The vet recommended the bird for rehabilitation with the hope that it is saved.

The Bee-eater is a bird which can easily be distinguished thanks to its pointed, downcurved bill, long pointed wings and tail but above all its rich exotic colours and bright plumage. It is a specialist in catching flying insects and is a common migrant with large flocks seen daily during autumn and spring.

Footage by Antaia Christou, Simon Hoggett and Alice Tribe. Editing by Nathaniel Attard.

This BirdLife Malta video says about itself:

8 September 2017

This Grey Heron (Russett Griż) was found with blood in the football grounds of De La Salle College. The protected bird was found still alive but died a few moments later.

As is normally done in such cases the bird was taken to the veterinarian who confirmed that the protected bird was illegally shot and ended up a victim of illegal hunting. The bird had a shotgun injury to the wing and one of its legs was broken too.

This incident in the grounds of De La Salle College is very similar to the April 2015 case in which a shot protected bird landed in the yard of St Edward’s College in Cottonera (which is very near to De La Salle) while the school children were on their break. At the time this had led Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to close the hunting season prematurely.

The illegally shot Grey Heron in Vittoriosa is the third victim of this year’s autumn hunting season which has only been open for a week. During the past days BirdLife Malta received two shot European Bee-eaters which were retrieved by members of the public in two separate incidents, one in Għaxaq and the other in Dwejra (Malta).

Footage by BirdLife Malta, editing by Nathaniel Attard.

This BirdLife Malta video says about itself:

8 September 2017

On September 8th, BirdLife Malta was contacted by members of the public to retrieve two shot birds in one day, both of them herons – a protected species.

After the Grey Heron collected from De La Salle school grounds in the morning, a Night Heron (Kwakka) was retrieved from Mġarr ix-Xini in Gozo. Both birds were confirmed shot thus becoming the third and fourth known victims of the 2017 autumn hunting season.

The vet certified the Night Heron collected from Gozo as having been shot in the wing and in the eye. Unfortunately the protected bird, which was retrieved alive, did not make it and succumbed to the shotgun injuries it suffered.

The bird was discovered by 16-year old Sol Pearson, a Xewkija resident, while walking in a nearby valley.

Footage and editing by Nathaniel Attard.