Just two days into the start of the 2024 spring hunting season and open only for Common Quail, BirdLife Malta said it has recovered the first illegal hunting casualty of the season – a Western Marsh Harrier that was found on Friday by a member of the public in Qajjenza, Malta.

BirdLife said that “the adult female Marsh-harrier, seen in the picture on the right, was examined by the Government veterinarian and certified as being shot, becoming the first known illegal hunting casualty to be received by BirdLife Malta since the start of the season on the 10th of April.”

The bird of prey had several pellets in its body and a fracture to the left wing, BirdLife said.

The NGO explained that birds being shot during this time, such as this protected Marsh-harrier, would have been on their migration from Africa to Europe to breed, “with their journey cut short due to illegal hunting.”

The picture on the left-hand side also shows a Marsh-harrier, and was taken a few days ago at the airport. BirdLife Malta said that “we’re sharing this other photo so that one can admire the beauty of this bird in all its splendour, which is how it should be enjoyed by all during the spring migration, and not as seen in the other picture.”

Photo: BirdLife Malta

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