Two Honey Buzzards, a protected species, were shot down by poachers in recent days, reigniting concerns about illegal bird hunting in Malta.

One bird was killed, while footage of the incidents was handed over to the authorities by the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).

In a statement on Tuesday, CABS posted footage of the Honey Buzzard shot down by a poacher near Buskett Gardens last Friday. 

The footage shows the low-flying bird over Tal-Virtu heading towards Buskett Bird Sanctuary, where according to CABS, other Honey Buzzards have already landed to roost on Friday evening.

A single shot can be heard in the video, and the hit bird is seen falling to the ground. After the incident, a man with a shotgun was filmed searching the area where the bird fell.

“We assume that the poacher noticed our team and then decided to leave and not retrieve the bird," CABS Wildlife Crime Officer Fiona Burrows said.

Following the incident, CABS met with the officers of the Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) who were able to locate and retrieve the critically injured bird. The video evidence was shown to the officers who traced and questioned the suspect. The footage was also handed to the police. 

Honey Buzzard with probable shotgun injury on right wing. Credit: CABS

Honey Buzzard and Bee-Eater shot and killed 

The second incident took place on Monday morning, where a CABS team witnessed the killing of a Honey Buzzard, which was looking for shelter in the Has-Saptan valley, in Birżebbuġa.

While the incident was not filmed and the bird could not be found, CABS said its members also documented five cases of protected birds of prey with fresh wounds and feather damage, typical of shotgun injuries. 

The birds included two Peregrine Falcons, a Honey Buzzard and two Marsh Harriers. All were observed and photographed near Girgenti and Buskett Gardens.

Hunter with protected Bee-eater in his hand at Birżebbuġa last week. Credit: CABS

It was a busy week for CABS, as the committee also called the police on another poacher who had been observed killing a protected Bee-Easter near Birżebbuġa.

“Video of the suspect collecting and inspecting the bird and then callously throwing it away has been handed over to EPU who initiated criminal proceedings against the suspect,” the statement read. 

CABS member holding the dead Bee-eater. Credit: CABS

The Committee mentioned another incident, this time on the L-Ahrax peninsula, where a known repeat offender was filmed with a shotgun using an illegal electronic bird caller to gain the attention of protected Green and Redshanks down the cliff.

The footage also handed over to the EPU, shows the man with a shotgun and the illegal electronic lure in his hands. 

CABS said that the suspect had been identified and his bird caller was found and subsequently confiscated by the Police and was slapped with a €350 fine. 

CABS praised the EPU for its quick response and professional cooperation with its teams. It also highlighted the “sterling work” done by Birdlife Malta and the Malta Ranger Unit whose reports to the authorities have also led to the successful conviction of numerous shooters and trappers in the last weeks. 

“Malta has gone a long way in the last 20 years and the scale of illegal bird killings has undoubtedly decreased since then. However, the recent cases show that- despite a strong surveillance network formed by NGOs and the Police - there is still a good number of fanatics out there who are willing to take the risk“, CABS Press Officer Axel Hirschfeld concluded.