Tragically, a rare Saker Falcon makes a highly prized target for illegal taxidermy, BirdLife Malta said today, adding that this “appears to have been the fate of a bird found shot Monday near Zebbug, Gozo.”

The NGO stated that the Saker Falcon is the largest falcon that can be seen in Malta, and an exceptionally rare visitor, with only one or two individuals recorded each autumn.

It said that the falcon was discovered with an old, maggot-infested wing fracture and, despite rescue efforts, did not survive.

BLM explained that globally, the Saker Falcon is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with fewer than 15,000 breeding pairs remaining, and populations continuing to decline across Europe and Central Asia.

“Although the species is strictly protected and hunting it carries heavy fines, these penalties are clearly insufficient to deter those who seek to kill and collect this magnificent raptor,” stated BirdLife Malta. “Such incidents continue to cast Malta’s hunting in a negative light and directly contribute to the decline of rare and endangered species.”

The NGO stated that “we would much rather have it the other way around, but as long as politicians continue regurgitating familiar rhetoric, that hunting fines are too high or that enforcement is somehow sufficient, these situations will persist.”

BirdLife Malta warned, “the reality is stark: there are no environmental police stationed on Gozo, and overall, Malta continues to struggle with effective environmental enforcement. Any move to weaken this system further is a guarantee that such incidents will only increase.”

Screenshot and video BirdLife Malta

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