The Prime Minister should close the spring hunting season after at least eight protected birds have been shot illegally in a week, BirdLife Malta said.

From birds of prey such as marsh harriers and a common kestrel to other smaller birds such as a common swift, a barn swallow and hoopoes, the first week of the 2017 spring hunting season has already taken its toll on several protected species, it said.

Four of these protected birds succumbed to their injuries after they were shot down. More than half of these illegally shot birds were retrieved just over the last weekend alone from different parts of Malta and Gozo.

"One needs to keep in mind that these retrieved injured birds represent only a fraction of the illegal hunting which is actually happening in the countryside," Birdlife Malta said in a statement.

Birdlife CEO Mark Sultana said that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat closed the spring hunting season in 2015 after the fourth protected bird was shot.

"Today we have already eight shot protected birds and I hereby ask him to be bold again and do the right thing," he said.

The spring hunting season is open until April 14.

Last week, MEPs from 13 countries and representing the seven largest political groups in the European Parliament are urging Malta to close the spring hunt on migratory birds.

A shot marsh harrier retrieved from Selmun.