BirdLife Malta said it received 62 shot protected birds since the beginning of September, double the amount in the same period last year.

“This is the worst autumn hunting season since the organisation started keeping detailed records in 2007,” BirdLife said yesterday. Over 60 per cent of the protected birds retrieved this year were birds of prey, including rare species like the pallid harrier, it said.

During its international bird monitoring camp, Bird­Life said it recorded an additional 124 injured protected birds in flight with visible gunshot injuries and a further 106 protected birds shot by illegal hunters.

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