A Pallid Harrier, one of Europe's most-endangered birds of prey, has been sent to Germany for rehabilitation after having been shot over Malta.

BirdLife Malta said the bird was found last Sunday in a private garden in the limits of Mosta. It had gunshot injuries to the wing and chest that were a few days old, having been shot during the spring hunting derogation period.

The bird was emaciated and unable to fly.

Since rehabilitation facilities for wild birds are lacking in Malta, the BirdLife partner in Germany, NABU, assisted in arranging to send the bird to the Tierklinik in Berlin. The bird was flown to Berlin on Wednesday and received further veterinary treatment yesterday.

There are between five and 50 breeding pairs of Pallid Harriers in Europe excluding the Russian population. Due to large historic population declines Pallid Harriers are listed as endangered in Europe.

BirdLife Malta said that over the past four years it witnessed several incidents of Pallid Harriers being shot at. A shot Pallid Harrier was recovered from Tas-Silg in 2007, a badly injured bird was seen over Fomm ir-Rih in 2008, and in 2010 another badly injured Pallid Harrier was filmed flying over the Foresta 2000 area on Easter Sunday.

Commenting on this year's spring hunting season, Paul Debono, BirdLife Malta Executive Director, said: "The season was opened under conditions which could be neither controlled nor enforced. The aim was clearly to allow large numbers of hunters to be out in the field during the peak migration period. The end result – a procession of shot protected birds."

BirdLife received 26 shot protected birds since the the start of the Spring hunting season on April 13.