Another two illegally shot protected birds were retrieved by Birdlife this week, the organisation said.

They were the eight and ninth known protected birds gunned down during this year’s autumn hunting season.

Birdlife said the birds, juvenile honey buzzards, were recovered on September 14 and yesterday, one in Gozo and one in Malta.

The bird recovered from Gozo was handed to Birdlife by the police. It had pellets in its body but no broken bones.

The second was recovered from Girgenti and taken to the vet this morning. A farmer in the area called the police when the bird landed in his field after it was shot down.