An illegally shot cuckoo was found at Miżieb by a woman walking her dog yesterday afternoon, Birdlife said this afternoon.

The cuckoo, a protected bird, had to be euthanised by a vet as it could no longer fly.

"It caught my attention as it was flapping around on the ground next to the path. It was obvious that its wing was badly damaged and it could not fly; I was worried that if it stayed there, it would starve to death," the woman who found the bird told Birdlife.

Birdlife said the cuckoo was still alive but visibly distressed, and could not move its wing. It took the bird to a vet, where it was confirmed that it had been shot. The wing was broken, with bone visibly protruding through the feathers.

The organisation said Miżieb was a notorious illegal hunting black spot where volunteers previously found hundreds of carcasses of illegally shot birds stashed under rocks. Although public land, the area was overseen by hunters who erected signs warning walkers to keep out during the hunting season, Birdlife said.