Rare eagle shot down, BirdLife appeals for information

BirdLife said the eagle was spotted flying low just before 7pm, searching for a place to roost for the night. As it flew over a copse of Pine trees a short distance away from buildings two shots rang out. The bird folded in the air and fell straight down into the pine copse. 

Short-toed Eagles are rare annual migrants and the few that pass over Malta are illegally shot at on a yearly basis, BirdLife said.

Raptor Camp volunteers in the area witnessed the incident and reported it to the police. The police arrived shortly afterward and searched the area, but neither shooter nor dead eagle were found.

BirdLife said the incident involved several laws being broken: shooting down a protected bird, shooting outside permitted hours, and shooting within 200 mt of a residential area.

“Eagles are highly prized by illegal hunters and collectors and this one was definitely recovered,” said Nicholas Barbara, a conservation and policy officer.

“We appeal to anyone with information on the shooter or suspects within the area to pass this information on, helping to bring whoever shot this iconic eagle to justice.”

Information on illegal taxidermists, who might be engaged to stuff and mount the bird, could also be useful in identifying the illegal shooter, BirdLife said.

The police may be contacted on 119 or 21221111 and BirdLife Malta can be reached on 21 347 644 or [email protected]

The website of BirdLife Malta also includes tips and instructions on how to report illegal hunting and trapping incidents to the police www.birdlifemalta.org