THE KILLING CRISIS
reared – and “pest” control, including songbird
flocks that feed on crops. In the UK, a recent
government-funded report revealed that Hen
Harriers Circus cyaneus are ten times more
likely to die or “disappear” in areas managed for
Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus, a species which is
legitimately shot for sport. This is most likely the
result of illegal killing.
The range of birds being killed is mind-
boggling, and the impact on their populations
potentially catastrophic. In each of the two
regions examined by Brochet and her team,
two-thirds of species assessed are killed illegally
in significant numbers.
The most frightening and tangible example is
European Turtle-dove (now Vulnerable). More
than one million are killed illegally each year –
and this on top of the allowance that is given
legally. Set in the context of a 30% decline in
the dove’s global population since 2000, one
cannot but think of Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes
migratorius, which went extinct in 1914, victim
of the fallacy that no level of exploitation could
imperil such an abundant animal.
In numerical terms, waterbirds, seabirds and
passerines (true perching birds) are among
the most markedly affected by illegal killing.
Among songbirds, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian
Blackcap and Song Thrush all top the million
mark. In Syria, Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
and Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis
fare particularly badly. Such migratory birds
are particularly vulnerable along the African-
Eurasian flyway, as exhausted travellers
APR-JUN 2019 • BIRDLIFE
Ortolan Bunting
Emberiza hortulana
Photo Morteza Nemati
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The invisible killer: mist
nets such as this are nearly
invisible to birds
Photo BirdLife Cyprus
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Limesticks –branches
coated in sticky adhesive
– are a cruel and efficient
way for hunters to capture
perching birds
Photo: The Killing
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typically congregate in large numbers before
or after crossing natural barriers such as the
Mediterranean or Sahara.
Slow-breeding species such as raptors also
suffer disproportionately. And for globally
threatened species, the toll imposed by illegal
killing may be too much to bear, especially
when piled on top of pressures from habitat
loss or food shortage. The White-headed Duck
Oxyura leucocephala (Endangered) and Little
Bustard Tetrax tetrax (Near Threatened) are
cases in point: the latter may lose one-tenth of
its global population to illegal killing each year.
However, the practice is not uniformly
distributed. It occurs at what Van den Bossche
calls “industrial scale” in certain Mediterranean
countries. Italy tops the list with 5.6 million
casualties, but over two million birds are also
killed illegally in Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon and
Egypt. In Malta, Lebanon and Cyprus, on
average, at least 248 birds per square kilometre
are killed illegally each year – an order of
magnitude higher than anywhere else.
One-third of birds killed illegally in the
Mediterranean – that’s eight million – die at
just 20 problem areas. The death toll at Egypt”s
“ When I first did the sums my first
thought was - how is it possible that
there are still birds in the sky? “
DR ANNE-LAURE BROCHET LEAD AUTHOR, THE KILLING
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