Illegal bird trophy collection found at Burmarrad - CABS

The gruesome find includes stuffed specimens of protected birds such as a Marsh Harrier, three Kestrels, a Bee-Eater, a Stone Curlew and a Heron

The two pictures show part of the stuffed birds found this morning in Burmarrad
The two pictures show part of the stuffed birds found this morning in Burmarrad

Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) volunteers have discovered the half-burnt remains of an illegal bird trophy collection on a countryside road near Saint Margaret’s Chapel in the limits of Burmarrad.

The gruesome find includes stuffed specimens of protected birds such as a Marsh Harrier, three Kestrels, a Bee-Eater, a Stone Curlew and a Heron.

Huntable species such as a Snipe, a Mallard, a Turtle Dove, a Woodpigeon, a Linnet and two crows were also found. The discovery was reported immediately to the ALE who collected the evidence and launched an investigation. 

“Stuffed bird collections by law must be registered with the authorities and in previous instances we have found that collections have been dumped to enable the hunters to replace these birds with freshly killed specimens. This is likely to be the case with the discovery today”, CABS press officer Axel Hirschfeld said.