BirdLife Malta has revealed footage and photographs of a dead Black-winged Stilt at the Ghadira Nature Reserve, shot early yesterday morning.

The protected Black-winged Stilt had serious gunshot injuries that included a broken leg and bill. The bird flew into Ghadira Nature Reserve where it died from its injuries.

The adult male bird has been visiting the reserve over the last few weeks and was paired up with an adult female showing courtship behaviour. The female bird also had gunshot damage to her left wing and was filmed calling for the male.

BirdLife Malta conservation manager Andre Raine, who retrieved the dead bird, said:

“With a ban on spring hunting over the last two years, we are finally seeing the conservation benefits of a hunting-free spring with rare birds for Malta trying to breed. However, now that the rabbit hunting season has opened, some are clearly turning their sights on the rare breeding birds.”

Last year, for the first time in Maltese ornithological history, a pair of the same species had tried to breed in Ghadira Nature Reserve, and had been recorded copulating and creating a nest scrape. However ,they disappeared after a few weeks and were not seen again. This year, at least two new pairs have been observed at Ghadira and Simar nature reserves.

“It is unacceptable that we should be in the situation where every time a rare bird tries to breed in Malta, poachers try to kill them. This year, we have already recorded attempts by poachers to kill the Common Kestrel pair, and there have been reports that the pair of Cuckoos in Mizieb have also been shot. It is time that the government takes this issue seriously, and creates a wildlife crime unit to deal with illegal hunting issues year round.” he said.