Birdlife has published images it says shows two protected birds, a Grey Heron and Montagus Harrier, with visible gunshot wounds in flight, amid controversy over the decision to open a spring hunting season this year. 

"Under the guise of a spring hunting season for #Quail, hunters find it easier to illegally target protected birds," the NGO said on Twitter.

The season opened on Friday with hunters allowed out to shoot from two hours before sunrise, to noon every day. The only huntable species is quail, with a national limit of 5,000 birds. 

The decision to open the season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic caused controversy due to ongoing social distancing measures and fears it would put "unnecessary strain" on already-stretched police resources.