A young greater flamingo which stopped on the rocks at Xwejni in Gozo was shot down and taken away by the shooter, Birdlife said on Thursday.

They said in a statement the bird was being admired by a number of people when the incident happened.

The shooter was seen going into a car taking the flamingo with him. The car was being driven by another person.

The information, Birdlife said, has been passed on to the Gozo police.

Birdlife Malta CEO Mark Sultana stated: “Gozo has become a mecca of illegalities as bad as Miżieb and l-Aħrax and our hope is that the enforcement authorities takes the situation seriously.

"We are also hoping that the public gives a hand in reporting similar incidents by sending all the information in a timely manner to us and the police.

"Such incidents in Gozo give us a clear indication that we need to start being more present on this island.”

Head of conservation Nicholas Barbara added: “The bird migration season has started and as has happened every year, a number of protected birds – even during closed season – end up being targeted by hunters who disregard the law.

The 2023 autumn hunting season kicks off on Friday and will run until January 31.

"We reiterate our call to the general public to report any illegalities immediately to the police on 119, asking to be transferred through to the Environmental Protection Unit."

BirdLife Malta can also be reached on 2134 7645 or on the emergency (out of office hours) number 7925 5697.