As many as 24 protected short-toed eagles are believed to have been shot in what BirdLife President Joseph Mangion described as "a killing frenzy" by a group of hunters over the weekend.

The birds of prey were first seen at around 3.30 p.m. in the Handaq area, heading towards Zebbug and then towards Dwejra in the north. The hunters followed them throughout the afternoon, according to BirdLife.

The NGO was informed that when first sighted there were 24 birds, and the numbers gradually declined as they flew over the island.

"We have information of 17 birds being seen, then 14 shortly after, then 10," Mr Mangion said.

On Friday evening BirdLife activists witnessed three of the 24 eagles being shot after the flock had been disrupted as it sought overnight refuge in the north.

Birdlife believes that by nightfall, most of them had been downed. Although its activists only witnessed the shooting of three eagles, no eagle was spotted on Saturday, which leads the activists to believe that all the birds have been killed, Mr Mangion said.

The police's Administrative Law Enforcement unit was alerted, BirdLife said, and its personnel were on site where the eagles were circling late on Friday.

However, the police failed to say whether anyone had been arrested or will be charged in connection with the case.

"The systematic way in which these eagles were persecuted in a few hours is undeniable proof that illegal hunting is the order of the day," Mr Mangion said.

"At the same time we have the Police Commissioner instructing the ALE to go slow on court action against hunters breaking sections of the hunting law."

Birdlife said it had received a report that another short-toed eagle was shot in Mizieb last Wednesday.

Short-toed eagles are large birds of prey whose decline in Europe has been kept in check by conservation measures. The species is protected under the European Birds Directive, which also applies to Malta.