A second protected Marsh Harrier was found shot in Miżieb on Sunday morning, one week into the spring hunting season for common quail. 

The protected bird of prey was picked up by passing cyclists and taken to BirdLife Malta, who confirmed that it had sustained gunshot injuries to both its wings. 

The discovery follows that of another shot Marsh Harrier in Gozo last Friday, with activists having also spotted an injured Pallid Harrier at Delimara on Easter Sunday, the first day of the 2018 spring hunting season. 

In a statement, BirdLife noted that Miżieb was not the quail's ideal habitat, and that therefore any hunters spotted in that area were most likely going after protected species. 

Marsh Harriers cross Malta during the spring as they migrate to their breeding grounds in northern Europe. 

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is on the record as saying he wants enforcement against poaching and hunting contraventions to intensify, and in a statement issued on Monday morning, the parliamentary secretariat for animal rights emphasised the volume of enforcement activity underway. 

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More than 1,3000 inspections were carried out across Malta (1,040) and Gozo (332) during the first five days of the spring hunting season, the parliamentary secretariat said.

Around 47 officials were tasked with surveillance of known hunting grounds and also confiscated a number of illegal turtle dove decoys they found. 

Officers with the police's Administrative Law Enforcement unit also carried out 157 roadside inspections to ensure hunters had the required hunting and firearm licenses, the government added. 

The spring hunting season will run until April 21.

WATCH: Can you tell the difference between a quail and a turtle dove?