Migratory Bird Hunting and Welfare

Hunting of migratory birds raises welfare concerns beyond population management, including wounding rates, lead poisoning from shot, and the cumulative stress of hunting pressure on migrating birds.

Key Facts

An estimated 25-30 million migratory birds are shot annually in Mediterranean Europe during migration
Lead shot is still legal for some migratory bird hunting in many countries despite toxicity
Wounding rates from shotgun hunting are estimated at 20-30% of birds shot at
Malta kills approximately 1 million birds annually during migration despite EU Birds Directive
Non-toxic steel shot causes more wounding than lead shot at equivalent energy levels

Welfare Considerations

Hunting causes both direct suffering and indirect welfare impacts. Wounded birds that escape die slowly from their injuries over hours to days. Lead ingestion from spent shot contaminates wetland environments and poisons waterfowl and raptors that ingest shot or contaminated prey. The high mortality and wounding rates in Mediterranean spring hunting intercept birds that have already completed a long migration, inflicting maximal welfare costs on animals in depleted condition. Hunting pressure also causes chronic stress responses in wild bird populations.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns against illegal spring hunting in Malta and other Mediterranean countries
Advocate for lead shot bans in all hunting contexts
Donate to organisations like Birdlife International documenting and challenging illegal bird hunting
Engage with hunting organisations about transitioning to non-toxic shot
Support tighter enforcement of the EU Birds Directive