Europe, But Not As We Know It.

Many years ago and after learning of the wholesale slaughter and/or capture of migratory birds through the island of Malta I vowed to never ever go there. I kept that promise as did others. 

Over the years wife Sue and I made dozens of trips to Spain, The Balearics, Cyprus and Greece; weeks and days of enjoying everything that sunny Europe offers the traveller with suntan cream, binoculars, camera, a field guide and a thirst to explore. 

But I have yet to see an Ortolan Bunting. 

It is a common enough species in warmer less northerly countries than The British Isles. As one whose days of chasing a tick list is long gone I never felt the absolute urge to see an Ortolan Bunting even on those very rare past occasions when a vagrant was discovered in the UK, a find rare enough to always generate a twitching frenzy. 

However when a Facebook page about Ortolan Buntings and Europe popped up on the PC it aroused my interest. I quote here the page, word for word, a very disturbing, extremely sad, but mercifully short story with a trigger warning to all bird lovers. 

“The Ortolan Bunting, which is a very rare species here, is a highly sought-after target for poachers in the Mediterranean region. When caught alive and kept in a cage, the bird doubles its weight to up to 50 grams within a short space of time if well fed. Known as the ‘fat ortolan’, it has been a favourite ‘delicacy’ among gourmet diners since ancient times. this day, this brutal practice continues sporadically in south-western France, where people pay over €200 for a single roasted ortolan! 

In Lebanon, Ortolans are specifically hunted and eaten, and there are similar cases in northern Italy. In Malta, on the other hand, poachers trap the bird using clap-nets to keep it as a cage bird. It is estimated that more than 30,000 Ortolan Buntings are illegally shot or trapped each year in the Mediterranean region. 

Through longstanding campaigns, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) has almost brought ortolan trapping in France to a standstill – with more than 200 Ortolan trapping sites were shut down within a few years. In Malta, too, the practice has now become rare.” 

The pictures show a CABS activist with an ortolan decoy and also live ortolans collected in France.

Decoy

CABS is involved in many campaigns and bird protection camps throughout Europe that keep up the fight for migratory birds. CABS is almost exclusively financed with private donations, from nature and animal lovers, as well as foundations and nature conservation associations. 

In order to stay independent, CABS do not receive public funds and refuse business sponsorships. CABS is recognised as non-profit, thus, donations are tax-deductible. You can read about their fantastic work, donate to their cause and even volunteer to help at CABS.  

#committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #ortolan