He wore a white skull mask, while his accomplice covered his face with a neckerchief. Together, they rolled up the illegal clap nets they had laid out to trap birds with. 

The two men kept their faces hidden until they entered a building nearby. But when they later exited, faces exposed, bird activists were there to identify them and report them to police. 

WATCH: Stone-wielding masked trapper keeps hikers at bay

These two men caught illegally trapping at Fomm ir-Riħ are among 20 poachers reported to police by activists with the Committee Against Bird Slaughter over the past three weeks. 

The poachers are expected to be arraigned in court over the coming months. 

“These men looked and behaved like bank robbers but instead of money they were stealing protected birds from the wild”, CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld said.

Trapping of all kinds is illegal in spring.

Footage taken by CABS shows trappers laying out and removing nets, as well as carrying cages with live birds to use as trapping decoys. 

In a statement, CABS said that one of its teams had also filmed a man installing an illegal bird caller and net close to Mġarr yesterday. Both were confiscated by police. 

Illegal trappers are doing their utmost to avoid being recognised. Photos: CABS