Two young men are expected to be charged in court today after shooting down a black-winged stilt at Xemxija Bay on Wednesday, the police told Times of Malta.

The two men, aged 20 and 23, were driving off in a car with a concealed number plate, the police said.

They had flung the dead bird out of the car, probably because they had spotted the police.

The police searched the vehicle and found the shotgun and cartridges and also located the bird in the vicinity.

The Rapid Intervention Unit was alerted to the shooting of the protected species at around 5pm.

Hunters’ federation president Joe Perici Calascione told this newspaper a hunter informed the police of the illegality.

Hunter reported suspicious behaviour

“Hunters are also birdwatchers,” Mr Perici Calascione said.

“The hunter spotted the other two and immediately became suspicious of their intentions – it’s closed hunting season, they weren’t even supposed to be carrying a shotgun.”

Mr Perici Calascione insisted that most hunters were law-abiding.

However, there were a few diehards who were causing extreme damage to the hunting community and undermining the work the FKNK was doing.

These black sheep are damaging the reputation of hunters

“It has become increasingly common for hunters to report other hunters as they are realising that these black sheep are damaging the reputation of hunters. We have been in various discussions with the police. Enforcement needs to cover this vulnerable period, when most people are not out in the fields.”

This will be the second hunting-related case this week.

On Wednesday, Joseph Camilleri, 55, of Żebbuġ, pleaded not guilty to assisting Lee Grima, 24, to shoot a black-winged stilt on Monday at around 12.30pm in Qajjenza, limits of Birżebbuġa.

On Tuesday, Mr Grima pleaded guilty to killing the bird and carrying a loaded shotgun during the closed season and in an area where hunting was not permitted.

He was jailed for three months, suspended for a year and fined €1,000. His hunting licence was suspended for two years and his gun confiscated.

Black-winged stilts have so far nested only twice in Malta, at the Għadira Nature Reserve in 2011 and again in 2013.

“These birds could easily be the ones attempting to re-establish nesting in the Maltese Islands.

“Unfortunately, with incidents like this, such hope is shattered,” a spokesman from Bird Life said.

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