Six protected birds have been found shot since March, despite the hunting season being closed, Birdlife said.

The Ornis Committee last week recommended the opening of the spring hunt for quail between April 10 and 30. A decision on turtle doves is expected shortly. Spring hunting in 2018 was allowed between April 1 and 21.

Birdlife said three protected birds had been found dead in the first week of March. A common kestrel was recovered from Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq on March 6 while two black-headed gulls were recovered from Salina two days earlier.

All three were found dead and the vet confirmed they had been shot.

Birdlife also said that over the first weekend of spring, it was called to recover three further injured birds - a male kestrel, a marsh harrier and a Scopoli’s shearwater - which were confirmed shot by the government vet.

The male kestrel had sustained a gunshot injury to its left wing, while the female harrier had a broken right wing. The shearwater was found among boats in the sea. 

"It was clear that the bird was shot out at sea but despite its grievous injury – a completely blasted right wing – managed to swim into the bay from where it was rescued," Birdlife said.

The illegalities come as hunters push for permission to shoot the turtle dove - a protected species environmentalists and lawmakers insist should be off-limits.