A Common Kestrel (Spanjulett) and a Merlin (Seqer ta' Denbu) were last week released on Comino by BirdLife Malta after being rehabilitated and treated for different injuries sustained due to illegal hunting.
The raptors, both male, were released on Wednesday 21 December as soon as the weather conditions permitted, knowing that the weather is a determining factor for a successful release.
Comino is a Natura 2000 site and a bird sanctuary where no hunting or trapping is allowed and it is the main release site for rehabilitated raptors by BirdLife Malta.
BirdLife Malta, through a statement explained that apart from this, the spectacular landscape and habitat of the island provide a plethora of prey for raptors (birds of prey).
"Such releases are always a great relief and victory for conservation when they succeed after the accumulated effort of so many people starting with the member of the public who would have found the illegally shot bird of prey and phoned, the ALE unit, the dedicated vet diagnosing and treating the injuries, and the BirdLife Malta conservation team which establishes a plan to rehabilitate the bird," the statement read.
"The Common Kestrel (Scientific name: Falco tinnunculus) is one of the most common migrating falcons for Malta in spring and autumn and an occasional breeding bird for the archipelago. It was found by a caring member of the public in a field close to the road in the Tas-Santi Valley, limits of Imġarr, who phoned BirdLife Malta. The bird was retrieved on the 6th of November and taken to the vet where it was examined and X-rayed. It was found to be suffering from shotgun injuries with a severe broken left wing and two lead pellets still embedded in its body. The kestrel, named Thor, was rehabilitated by BirdLife Malta for 46 days. It was ringed and released last Wednesday on Comino. Soon after its release, it was met by another kestrel, probably one that was also released by BirdLife Malta earlier last month. The birds flew in synchrony for 20 minutes before disappearing behind the sloping hills".
The Merlin (Scientific name: Falco columbarius) is an annual visitor but a rare one. The male bird was retrieved by the ALE in an unknown location and handed over to BirdLife Malta on 14 November by the vet. "It was suffering from shotgun injuries with a broken right wing as confirmed by X-rays. The Merlin, which is a very small raptor, was named Jupiter and was rehabilitated by BirdLife Malta for 38 days. Merlins are known to be fierce raptors and are regularly seen mobbing Golden Eagles (a much larger bird) in northern countries. After being ringed, the falcon was released on Comino also on Wednesday 21st December 2016. It flew strongly, calling loudly and settled across the valley".
Video by Nimrod Mifsud, Alina Poletska and Nicholas Barbara. Editing by Nathaniel Attard.