As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Thursday 19 June 2014

Suspended sentence confirmed for hunter who shot domesticated bird

A hunter who could not help himself when he saw a captive-bred spoonbill flying just outside a bird park lost his appeal to overturn the suspended jail term he had received, although he was spared a €500 fine.

The case dates back to 24 November, 2009.

The hunter, Raymond Agius, was outside the Salina bird park when he shot at the captive-bred African spoonbill, a sister species to the Eurasian spoonbill occasionally seen – and at times illegally shot – in Malta. The bird had been born in the park itself, and was properly registered and ringed.

The park’s owner Kevin Mallia testified that they were training the spoonbill – which was often displayed to schoolchildren visiting the park – and that while it was flying just outside the park, the accused fired a number of shots at it and missed.

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