A flamingo found dead at Xrobb l-Għaġin on August 22 had been shot, representatives from both BirdLife and the administrative law enforcement unit confirmed on Thursday.

The necropsy on the bird was conducted by a government vet on Thursday.

BirdLife had sounded the alarm earlier in the week after a member of the public reported hearing a gunshot and then seeing the flamingo fall out of the sky.

Probably last seen at the nature reserve in Delimara, the protected bird’s killing led to widespread condemnation from the public and hunters' organisations, such as St Hubert’s Hunters and the hunters' federation. 

Both groups said this was a “cowardly” breach of regulations and that such shameless behaviour tarnished the reputation of genuine hunters. The shooting is part of a consistent pattern of incidents over the years as flamingos have been targeted regularly.

In its statement, BirdLife stated that the total number of illegally shot protected birds received by the NGO and police so far this year has now reached 116.

There were at least three reported flamingo shootings in 2018, all of which occurred as the birds left the nature reserve in Għadira. In August 2019, there were at least five reported cases in a few days.

Flamingos usually avoid migration flights, but changes to both climate conditions and sea-levels are forcing the birds to adapt. The specimens that land in Malta are usually juveniles who stop here for a brief layover to rest.