One of 16 eagles that in all cost €1 million (Lm430,000) to save in Germany was shot and wounded in Birzebbuga on Sunday.

The Lesser Spotted Eagle was found with gunshot wounds in a field by a woman who passed it on to the police station.

The eagle was bearing German rings, and on being contacted, the German ringing station involved confirmed that the young bird had been ringed in Loewenberg-Luisenaue, some 50 km north of Berlin in the county of Oberhavel.

Axel Hirschfeld, who formed part of the core group of activists from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (Cabs) who were here to monitor illegal hunting last week, said they were making efforts to find an airline to sponsor the bird's return to Germany to be treated there.

Mr Hirschfeld said there were about 100 pairs of Lesser Spotted Eagles in all of Germany, and the species was "critically endangered and strongly protected".

"These eagles usually have two chicks. Because the younger one is usually killed in the nest and as these birds are so rare, the federal state of Brandenburg has embarked on an EU Life project to try and save the second chick," he said. A total of 16 nests were identified in Brandenburg, and the project there alone cost €1 million.

"These chicks are taken from the nest and reared by hand until they are old enough to be returned to the nest, so that their parents can continue to feed them and teach them what they need to learn.

"This particular bird was taken out of the nest on July 3 and returned on July 15, bearing ring number CA007795 and a white ring with the letters AAATTT," Mr Hirschfeld said.

"The chief of this project, Paul Soemmer, was disgusted when he learnt about the shooting," he added. Contacted yesterday, federation for hunting and conservation secretary Lino Farrugia said he condemned all illegal hunting activities without any reservation.

"There are no two ways about it. If this bird was shot by a hunter, I condemn it. But we also need to catch the perpetrators because it is futile to keep going on in this way with all this propaganda," he said.

Cabs has been operating in countries such as France and Italy for the past 20 years and nowhere did they encounter law infringements on a scale they saw on the island, Mr Hirschfeld said. Cabs was criticised by hunters who told them they had neither the right to be here nor criticise their actions.

"Sadly, the wounded eagle continues to confirm what we already knew, that Maltese hunters are killing our birds as well," he said.

Last Saturday, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter asked the government to close the hunting season immediately because of "rampant abuses by hunters".

"It is obvious that most of the hunters are poachers. They are in the field under the excuse of hunting game but are there to shoot at everything that flies," Cabs president Heinz Schwarze said.

Cabs members filmed a booted eagle being shot at Dwejra lines at 7 a.m. on Friday. The police were called and the eagle was not found, but officers came across a hunter in possession of a freshly-killed cuckoo. They confiscated his gun, ammunition and the dead protected bird. He is expected to be arraigned shortly.

Contacted for his reaction, Environment Minister George Pullicino said the government retained its clear position that if reported illegal activities were considerable, it would close the hunting season.

"Up to now, police reports do not show the situation to be alarming but we will keep monitoring the situation. We appreciate the work done by the Cabs bird guards but we also know this is not the only country where illegal activities take place. They are more visible locally because land is limited but this in no way justifies illegal acts," Mr Pullicino said.

He was disappointed, he added, that BirdLife Malta and hunters were taking more extreme stands and that there was no real dialogue between them.

"Internationally, Face and BirdLife International reached important agreements but here, the two sides are poles apart and are becoming more intransigent. We set up the Ornis Committee hoping to see some dialogue on joint efforts on projects including education for hunters.

"We want to protect birds and the legitimate pastime of genuine hunters," Mr Pullicino said.

"I also expected the hunters' federation not to attack Cabs people and other birdwatchers. Genuine hunters have nothing to fear. Bird guards assist in self-regulation. Hunters have to realise that illegal hunting works against them.

"The government is still waiting for serious proposals on self-regulation from hunters. Unless we get it and approve it, no association will be allowed to endorse the hunters' carnet de chasse and, hence, no hunting licences will be renewed," he said.