Peregrine Falcon shot down in Gozo

A juvenile Peregrine Falcon was shot and injured, BirdLife has said.

The endangered bird, also known as the Maltese Falcon, went extinct in the 1980s due to f indiscriminate hunting.

Thanks to conservation efforts, the species is slowly making a recovery, with a few breeding birds establishing nesting pairs in some remote areas the country’s coastline.

“It is sad to see such a majestic bird which is part of our natural heritage, being cut short of its life as a direct result of legislative and policy changes introduced to appease the hunting lobby,” BirdLife said.

The bird was found by a family holidaying in Gozo, who called BirdLife to rescue the bird.

The environmental NGO said that the falcon fell victim to a hunter “who was supposedly out hunting rabbits at this time of the year.”