73. Song Thrush

The Song Thrush is a common autumn bird that migrates over Malta. It is a medium-sized, perky songster that would grace our gardens and woodlands, were it given half a chance. But that chance is rarely forthcoming: the Song Thrush (M: Malvizz) has the unenviable honour of being the Bird Most Killed by Hunters in Malta! Indeed, its fate is no better in other Mediterranean countries, where several millions are killed annually across a wide front stretching from Portugal to Cyprus. In Malta the kill is about 200,000 every year, mostly shot down in October and November. So if this morning you were woken up by a barrage of shotgun fire, breathe a small prayer for what was probably another Song Thrush that stopped flying!

Text by Victor Falzon, photo by Denis Cachia.

Copyright to Birdlife Malta.