Reference
Legal guide to Malta’s bird protection laws
Information sourced from BirdLife Malta, Malta Rangers and CABS.
Electronic bird callers
The use of electronic bird callers is always illegal.
At all times, day or night, during and outside of any season, for any species.
An electronic bird caller is any device — smartphone, speaker, or purpose-built caller — that plays recordings of bird calls to attract wild birds. Their use is prohibited under EU Birds Directive Article 8 and Maltese national law (Cap. 504).
What callers look like
- Bluetooth or wired speakers hidden in vegetation
- Smartphones placed near nets or hides
- Purpose-built caller devices with pre-loaded calls
- Car stereo systems played through open windows
How to recognise
- Repetitive identical calls looping for hours
- Bird calls in areas with no visible birds
- Night-time calls from species that don't call at night
- Overly loud calls near trapping sites
BirdLife Malta's #NoMoreCallers campaign documents the rampant use of electronic callers across Malta and Gozo.
Bird trapping rules
Legal trapping
- Song Thrush — 20 Oct to 31 Dec, quota 5,000
- Golden Plover — 1 Nov to 10 Jan, quota 700
- At WBRU-licensed sites only
- Clap nets only, attended at all times
- Nets dismantled or covered at night
Illegal trapping
- All finch trapping — since June 2018 ECJ
- Trapping on non-WBRU-licensed land
- Cage traps for any species
- Mist nets (except licensed research)
- Unattended nets left overnight
- Electronic callers at trapping sites
- Lapwing or Ruff decoys
The finch trapping ban
In June 2018, the European Court of Justice (Case C-557/15) found Malta guilty of breaching the EU Birds Directive by allowing finch trapping. Seven species are covered: Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Hawfinch, Chaffinch and Serin. Despite the ruling, illegal finch trapping continues to be reported across Malta and Gozo.
BirdLife Malta trapping guide →Hunting rules
Autumn hunting season
1 September – 31 January. 40 land species and 12 sea species may be hunted. European Turtle-dove limited to 1–30 September (bag limit: 500).
Official huntable species list (PDF) →Legal hunting
- Listed species during open season
- With valid WBRU hunting licence
- Spring derogation: Quail & Turtle Dove
Illegal hunting
- All birds of prey — fully protected
- All herons, flamingos, storks, spoonbills
- Outside the designated season
- Without a valid licence
- Using electronic callers
- In Natura 2000 protected areas
Spring hunting
Spring hunting in Malta operates under a contested annual derogation from the EU Birds Directive. The European Commission has initiated Infringement Proceedings against Malta for insufficient supervision. Only Common Quail and European Turtle-dove may be targeted within strict date windows and bag limits.
Malta’s conservation context
With 35 hunters per square kilometre, Malta has the highest density of hunters in the world. Over 170 species migrate through regularly from 48 countries. Malta is the only country in Europe with no regularly breeding birds of prey — a direct consequence of decades of illegal shooting.
How to report
Step by step
- 1
Know your location
Get GPS coordinates. Note landmarks, roads, vehicle descriptions.
- 2
Gather evidence
Record audio (essential for callers), take photos/video safely.
- 3
Call police
Dial 119, ask for EPU. Note the officer's name.
- 4
Contact BirdLife Malta
Call 2134 7645 or 7925 5697 (out of hours).
- 5
Submit online
Use this platform for a structured report to all organisations.
Key contacts
Police / EPU
119
Ask for Environmental Protection Unit
BirdLife Malta
2134 7645
Office hours
BirdLife (Emergency)
7925 5697
Out of office hours
CABS Malta
Via website
komitee.de/malta
Official resources