Honey buzzard's wing 'mutilated'

A honey buzzard that had been shot and its wing mutilated was brought in to the BirdLife office last week, the conservation organisation said yesterday, highlighting the persistence of illegal hunting despite the closure of the hunting season.

The live bird, a protected species, was taken to the office by an individual last Thursday. The person said he found it in Zabbar. Besides the gunshot wound to its wing, the creature's primary and secondary feathers had been chopped off, probably by the use of scissors, making it impossible for the bird to fly, BLM said.

BirdLife conservation manager Andrè Raine said: "This mutilation really shows the mentality of some of the so-called hunters out there and the complete lack of compassion they have for wildlife. It is a particularly sadistic final act to do to an injured and defenceless bird".

This is not the first time this spring that mutilated birds have been delivered to BirdLife. In two separate incidents, both of which were detailed in a recent BirdLife report on illegal hunting, two common kestrels were found in a similar state. Both birds had been shot in the wings and then the flight feathers had been crudely hacked off.

In another recent case, a marsh harrier was taken to the BirdLife office after the closure of the hunting season. The bird, an adult female found in Benghajsa, had gunshot wounds to both wings and had to be put down by a veterinarian.

Despite the closure of the spring hunting season three weeks ago, reports of illegal hunting and shot protected species continued to flood in to the BirdLife office.

Since the season came to an abrupt end on May 10, no fewer than 51 incidents of illegal hunting were reported directly to the organisation by "reliable sources".