An endangered Saker Falcon, one of the rarest birds of prey to visit Malta, has been found shot dead in Gozo, BirdLife Malta said.
In a Facebook post, NGO BirdLife Malta said that the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), the largest species of falcon that can be sighted on the islands, was discovered on Monday near Żebbuġ, Gozo, with an old maggot-infested wing fracture.
Despite attempts to rescue the bird, it did not survive, BirdLife said.
The NGO said that the Saker Falcon is an exceptionally rare visitor to Malta, with only one or two individuals recorded each autumn.
Globally, the species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with fewer than 15,000 breeding pairs remaining and populations continuing to decline across Europe and Central Asia.
“Tragically, this rarity makes it a highly prized target for illegal taxidermy, which appears to have been the fate of a bird found shot Monday near Żebbuġ, Gozo,” it said.
The NGO said that while the species is strictly protected and hunting it carries heavy fines, these penalties remain clearly insufficient to deter illegal killings.
“Such incidents continue to cast Malta’s hunting in a negative light and directly contribute to the decline of rare and endangered species,” the organisation said.
The NGO condemned what it described as a lack of serious enforcement on the islands, saying that no environmental police officers are stationed in Gozo.
“As long as politicians continue regurgitating familiar rhetoric, that hunting fines are too high or that enforcement is somehow sufficient, these situations will persist,” BirdLife said, adding that the reality is stark, and overall, Malta continues to struggle with effective environmental enforcement.
The NGO said that any attempts to weaken this system further would be a guarantee that such incidents will only increase.