Newsletter / Blog
2012-07-23 Join Birdlife Malta’s Raptor Camp and make a real difference to bird conservation.
The Raptor Camp,
an international camp organised by BirdLife
Malta aimed at monitoring illegal hunting of wild birds, will take place
this year between 16h and 30th September- when the peak autumn migration
coincides with the hunting season.
Malta is situated on the central migratory
route between breeding grounds in Europe and wintering grounds in Africa,
serving as a critical resting place in the Mediterranean
for migratory birds.
Nevertheless,
birds that pass over the Maltese
Islands are largely met
with widespread illegal gunfire, or fall victim to other illegal killing
practices such as trapping or poisoning. No species is safe: illegal hunters
prefer birds such as raptors, but both protected and common species are
targeted. Many are not even killed for food, but for target practice and for
private collections!
BirdLife Malta’s
ongoing campaign against illegal hunting and trapping includes operations like
undercover surveillance in collaboration with the police and the organisation
of two annual conservation camps: Spring Watch in April and Raptor Camp in
September. Find more information on this campaign www.birdlifemalta.org
BirdLife Malta welcomes volunteers from across Europe this autumn to fight against the illegal hunting
of protected species. The camp involves collecting bird migration data and
reporting illegal hunting activities to the authorities. A real-life spy mission!
It has been proven that the presence of BirdLife Malta teams on the ground helps
deter illegal |