Finnish-tagged Honey-buzzard shot down in Malta on first migration

A Finnish-tagged Honey-buzzard, a protected species, was shot down in Malta during its first migration last Saturday and retrieved through collaboration between the police’s Environmental Protection Unit (EPU), assisted by officials from BirdLife Malta in collaboration with scientific researchers.

The juvenile Honey-buzzard was hatched in Finland this summer and was being GPS-tracked for a post-doctoral research project. The study is looking into the migratory behaviour of juvenile birds leaving Finland and Switzerland to identify whether birds follow adults, each other, or are guided by their own insticts and experiences.

Honey buzzards appear in good numbers over Malta during September and October. Most of the birds that appear are young and on their first migration south to the African continent.

This buzzard was ringed and GPS-tagged in its nest in typical forest habitat along the outskirts of the city of Turku. It began its journey southwards towards mid-September, moving across 10 countries over a three-week period.

It eventually crossed the Central Mediterranean and reached Gozo on 8 October, with bridwatchers catching a view of the bird at around 5pm in Buskett.

However, researchers made contact with BirdLife Malta after the bird’s lcoation stopped moving as it reached the area of Ġnien il-Kbir outside Rabat.

Data on the bird’s lcoation was shared with EPU officer. Eventually, they found the bird dead in a private garden.

A post-mortem examination by veterinarians confirmed the presence of large lead pellets in the bird’s body as the cause of death.

Project leader Dr Elham Nourani commented on the event, saying it’s “remarkable how a protected species such as the Honey-buzzard is still hunted illegally in a European State.”

“All the birds we have tracked have had no issues reaching the African continent except this one in Malta, and another bird which stopped transmitting over Cyprus.”

 BirdLife Malta’s Head of Conservation Nicholas Barbara remarked that bird-tracking exercises like this shed light on several issues.

“Firstly, it shows how Malta’s position in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea is a crucial stepping stone for such long distant migrants with two out of 25 birds that left Finland coming through Malta. Secondly, it shows how much of an issue illegal hunting currently is – if this ratio is anything to go by – one of two Honey-buzzards from Finland has been killed this autumn season.”

He added that an afternoon curfey on hunting is crucial to reduce the illegal killing of such species. A 3pm hunting curfew used to be enforced at this time of the year until 2013, when government changed the curfew to 7pm.

BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana added that Malta is in effect allowing hunters to kill birds illegally. “This is shameful and embarrassing, and our leaders need to tackle this problem immediately. BirdLife Malta will co-operate fully.”