A male and a female Common Kestrel (Spanjulett) have been released in Comino after weeks of rehabilitation, BirdLife said..

The male, nicknamed ‘Baal’, after the Phoenician God known as ‘rider of clouds’, was found in Żejtun in July with gunshot injuries that left him grounded with a broken wing.

"After our amazing vets examined him and had a look at how the fracture would heal, we together decided to attempt rehabilitation. It took a few days for Baal to get used to captivity – a necessary measure in order for him to be fed and kept safe during his recovery – but he quickly started feeding on his own and using the provided perches," the NGO said.

The juvenile female Common Kestrel ‘Tanit’, named after the Phoenician Mother Goddess, was retrieved in Qormi on August 8, showing signs of illegal captivity. She could not fly, but made a very quick recovery, and was ready to be released after a month of rehabilitation.

In both cases, the birds were handed over to BirdLife Malta after vets declared that although they suffered injuries, they could be rehabilitated after a few weeks.  

Both Baal and Tanit were ringed by qualified bird ringers Roger and Helen Short of the Comino Birds Observatory who are carrying out ringing and monitoring activities as the bird migration picks up.

Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) are small raptors belonging to the falcon family, and are best recognised by the hovering behaviour they display when hunting for small rodent prey.

They are usually seen hunting over fields and have very keen eyesight, allowing them to spot their prey from up to 20m above the ground.

Common Kestrels are cavity nesters, so they will typically nest in holes on cliffs, trees or even buildings. Whilst many Common Kestrels are resident to where they breed, those breeding in cooler climates in northern Europe move to warmer climates in the winter, and can easily be seen on migration over Malta in spring and autumn.

Given the time of the year, it is possible that Baal was breeding in Malta when he was shot down, and it is just as likely that Tanit hatched in Malta during last breeding season, BirdLife said.