Birdlife calls for schools to be declared bird sanctuaries

Last Monday, a teacher at the Archbishop’s Seminary at Tal-Virtu, Rabat, heard some rustling in a bush in the school’s grounds and found an injured bird, a European Honey Buzzard.

Birdlife said this was the 22nd injured bird found since the beginning of September.  Twelve were Honey Buzzards.

Birds of prey are significantly easy to catch as they seek trees to roost during their migration over Malta, making them easy targets.

The injured bird is now being cared for by a vet. Birdlife said it was monitoring its progress.

The organisation said that among the shot birds, 12 were birds of prey, including species such as Eurasian Hobby, Lesser Kestrel, Common Kestrel and Eleonora’s Falcon.

In the last two weeks alone, seven European Honey buzzards have been rescued, Birdlife added.

Other targeted species included Common Greenshank, Night heron, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Common Hoopoe, European Bee-eater and European Turtle dove.

Birdlife called for all schools and a 200-metre area buffer zone around them to be declared bird sanctuaries.

“Hunting near schools not only endangers wildlife but also puts children at risk,” said BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana.

“Schools should be places where students can learn to appreciate and connect with wildlife, not where protected species are gunned down just outside their grounds,” he added.

The organisation said it had put forward the proposal to the Ornis Committee, the government entity that decides on hunting and trapping seasons.