Bird crime in Malta update

This video from Malta says about itself:

20 September 2017

Members of the public found this Common Kestrel during an evening walk in Siġġiewi on the 13th September 2017.

The bird was rescued from under a rubber wall, which it has scrambled to, to hide away from people as it was unable to fly.

Afterwards it was taken to the vet where an x-ray was performed,

The x-ray showed a break in the right wing and several pellets. The vet recommended this bird for rehabilitation.

This is the seventh shot bird handed to BirdLife Malta, during this year’s autumn hunting season. An attempt is being made to rehabilitate this bird back to the wild where it belongs.

You can help us to save more injured birds by donating today.

This video from Malta says about itself:

22 September 2017

This Honey Buzzard (Kuċċarda in Maltese) was recovered from Gozo on the 14th of September and immediately taken to the vet.
After a physical examination and an X-ray it was discovered that the protected bird had been illegally shot at. The bird of prey has pellets inside its body but thankfully no broken bones. However the condition of the wings is very bad.

This is the 8th known victim of illegal hunting discovered by BirdLife Malta during this year’s autumn hunting season.

Thankfully with the help of the vet, this European Honey Buzzard will regrow its feathers back to optimum condition and be able to continue its migration journey to Africa.

Another Honey Buzzard was retrieved from Girgenti yesterday, less than a week after the Gozo one. The vet confirmed that this second Honey Buzzard was illegally shot, becoming the 9th known illegally shot protected bird to be collected by BirdLife Malta this autumn.

Footage by BirdLife Malta, editing by Nathaniel Attard.

This video from Malta says about itself:

This Greater Flamingo was retrieved early this morning (Sunday 24th September 2017) from Ħal Far. It has been confirmed shot by the vet and had to be put down due to severe gunshot injuries to its right wing which was completely fractured.

Our Raptor Camp teams were called by a driver along Ħal Far road to collect the shot bird. The driver stumbled upon the juvenile Greater Flamingo which was lying by the side of the street. Police were called to the site and the bird was escorted to the veterinary clinic by them.

Unfortunately the bird had lost a lot of blood from a completely fractured right wing and nothing could be done to save it.

This is the 10th known victim of illegal hunting this autumn hunting season.

Footage by BirdLife Malta, editing by Nathaniel Attard.

This video from Malta says about itself:

24 September 2017

A few hours after the retrieval of a shot juvenile Greater Flamingo recovered from Ħal Far early in the morning of Sunday 24th September, BirdLife Malta was called to retrieve a second shot Flamingo, this time from Marsaskala.

This second injured Flamingo retrieved in a day, this time an adult, becomes the 11th known shot protected bird this autumn hunting season and it is being kept under observation after it was also confirmed shot by the veterinarian. Although it is suffering from serious injuries, as can be seen in this footage, there is hope that the protected bird can survive.

Footage by BirdLife Malta, editing by Nathaniel Attard.

BirdLife Malta was refused access to data about more than 8,000 sites where trapping is authorised each year. The sprawl of trapping sites that has characterised trapping seasons over the past years has resulted in unaccounted destruction of pristine habitats, with little or no enforcement. This has been confirmed following various reports filed by BirdLife Malta requesting action over non-registered trapping sites over the past trapping seasons for which no action has resulted to date: here.