BirdLife Malta collected a Barn-owl from Dwejra on Saturday, with a severely broken leg and shotgun injuries, making it the second of the species to be recovered since November 2025.
The owl was found to bear a closed ring inscribed with ‘BORP 10.0 24 014’, linking the bird to the barn-owl reintroduction project managed by the FKNK.
Data from the national Breeding Bird Atlas confirms despite the 2018 reintroduction initiative, the barn-owl remains extinct in Malta, with illegal hunting being the main root.
“While the FKNK strives to leave a legacy to the Maltese community, the only legacy of hunting in Malta so far is the local extinction of several once common breeding birds, namely the Jackdaw, Common Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon and Barn-owl,” said BirdLife Malta CEO Mark Sultana.
This issue is not only a recent one, in the 1980s the same issue was recorded, leading to the owl species’ initial extinction.
The FKNK’s project, currently in its sixth round of funding and aimed towards the reduction of illegal hunting practices has remained “largely a public relations exercise”, accompanied by the federation’s continued silence in condemning such illegal behaviour, the NGO said.
BirdLife Malta said “illegal hunting deprives the public of the opportunity to experience and appreciate these protected species in the wild,” continuing to call for stronger enforcement, accountability, and commitment to safeguard Malta’s national heritage.
The owl, following veterinary care, was returned to the FKNK.