Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS)

Grazie ai @cabs_reports che mi permisero di documentare una piccola parte del loro straordinario lavoro di anti bracconaggio. Il pettirosso è una specie rigorosamente protetta in Italia e in Europa dalla legge 157/1992 (art. 21) e da convenzioni internazionali come quella di Berna (Allegato II). Foto1 Un membro del @cabs_reports si esalta per la buona condizione di salute del pettirosso appena liberato dalla rete-trappola Foto2 Volontari trovano una rete-trappola. In primo piano un pettirosso Foto3 La delicata fase di liberazione del pettirosso dalla rete: non bisogna stressarlo troppo e non bisogna danneggiare arti e penne Foto4 Il pettirosso sta bene e può tornare libero www.paorossi.it

🇮🇹 Songbird poacher caught in southern Italy: Our latest scouting operation on the Pontine Islands is now complete. Ponza and the uninhabited island of Palmarola, have long been hotspots for migratory bird poaching. Snap traps and nets for songbirds, as well as the illegal spring hunting of quails and turtle doves, used to be widespread here. The results of this year’s mission demonstrate just how effective our actions are over time: over the course of a week, only one active trapping site was found. The perpetrator (whom we had caught once before back in 2019) was caught red-handed by the police following our report – four snap traps were seized. Unfortunately, two birds had already been caught; a whinchat was already dead, but a woodchat shrike was lucky and could be freed unharmed. Fourteen birds were subsequently found in the man’s freezer (four pied flycatchers, four redstarts, three robins, two woodchat shrikes and one icterine warbler) – all of them ringed. The perpetrator has presumably caught and eaten hundreds of birds over the past few months, whilst deliberately keeping the ringed ones! The case clearly demonstrates the extent of the damage caused by poaching, even when only a small number of bird traps are used. * * 📸 @cabs_reports * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #italy

🇬🇷 Zakynthos bird protection camp concludes – 21 poachers reported! Our mission on the Greek island of Zakynthos has come to an end after four weeks. Since mid-April, teams from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), in cooperation with the police and game wardens, have caught a total of 11 poachers, whilst a further 10 have been reported based on video evidence. Fines range between 400 – 1400 euros. The officers were able to seize 10 hunting rifles and 514 rounds of shotgun ammunition from the perpetrators. All in all, we were far more successful than in 2025: we were able to convict three times as many offenders and – unlike last year – there were no incidents of aggression against the participants of the bird protection camp. Nevertheless, our campaign has not yet achieved the resounding success we would like to see. Although we are seeing a slight overall decline in poaching and the poachers are clearly put off by our presence, dozens still go out every morning in remote areas of the holiday island to illegally hunt turtle doves, orioles and other protected species. Reason enough for us to be back on the ground with a large contingent in spring 2027! * * 📸 @cabs_reports * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #greece

🇱🇧 A spent shell, scattered feathers, and bloodstains on a wooden table near Batroun - this sight may be common in the region, but it is never acceptable. As millions of birds’ journey along the critical eastern Mediterranean flyway, they encounter a deadly bottleneck of illegal hunting that threatens global biodiversity and the balance of our ecosystems. Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances currently facing Lebanon, our team’s commitment remains unshakable. We will remain on duty through the end of the migration season, patrolling the front lines to ensure these weary travellers have a fighting chance at safe passage. We see the devastation, but we choose hope and action over despair. We aren’t giving up on our birds, and we aren’t giving up on our mission. * * 📸 @cabs_reports * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #lebanon

Da sind sie nun angekommen - diese armen Geschöpfe!! 🖤 Das sind die drei Rabenkrähen, die als Lockvögel in der illegalen Leiterfalle saßen, die zum Glück vom Komitee gegen den Vogelmord befreit worden sind! Ich habe noch NIE so verstörte, ängstliche Krähen erlebt!! Sie tun mir von Herzen leid, es ist ganz schwer zu ertragen. Bei ihnen merkt man ganz klar die besondere, fragile Psyche der Rabenvögel, und welche unglaubliche Angst Menschen und eingesperrt sein bei ihnen nun auslösen. Aufgrund ihrer Intelligenz vergessen sie nicht, was ihnen angetan wurde. Leider mussten sie für eine erste Untersuchung kurz in der Box sitzen, nun sind sie in einer großen Voliere draußen, von der ich ganz doll hoffe, dass sie aufrund von Größe und Bepflanzung keinen Fallencharakter für sie hat und in der sie etwas zur Ruhe kommen können. Ihnen wurden die Stoß- und Schwungfedern gekappt, sodass sie nicht mehr flugfähig sind und leider erstmal mausern müssen, bis sie ca. im September endlich wieder in die Freiheit entlassen werden können. Ich freue mich, wenn ihr sie mit einer Spende für Futter und Unterhalt unterstützt! PAYPAL: [email protected] 🖤🖤🖤 #jagdwilderei #wilderei #wildtierrettung #Rabenkrähe #jäger

🌍🇬🇧 Today we celebrate a century of Sir David Attenborough, a man whose voice has defined our connection to the natural world and whose advocacy remains a guiding light for conservation. Sir David has long viewed bird migration as a global wonder that creates a shared international responsibility, emphasising that these species are uniquely vulnerable because their survival depends on an unbroken “chain” of protected habitats across all political, ideological and geographical borders. Throughout his career, he has condemned industrial-scale illegal hunting and trapping along these flyways as an ecological crime against our common heritage, championing the transition from passive protection to the pro-active restoration of “natures highways.” In the spirit of Sir David’s vision, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) works tirelessly on the front lines to break the cycle of illegal trapping across the poaching hotspots of the Mediterranean and beyond. By ensuring the strict enforcement of international laws, CABS turns Attenborough’s advocacy into direct action, securing the “links” in the migratory chain that he has fought so hard to highlight. Our collective mission reinforces the moral imperative to continue to protect the planet’s most spectacular long-distance travellers and their flyways for the next century and beyond! Happy Centenary Birthday, Captain! 🫡🕊️ * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #sirdavidattenborough

🇮🇹 Operations on the ‘Isola Verde’: The holiday island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples is not only known for its fine cuisine, thermal springs and lush vegetation, but was also infamous as a hotspot for migratory bird poaching. For the past 33 years, we have been carrying out regular checks here in May together with @wwfitalia @guardiewwflombardia Game Wardens - primarily to ensure compliance with the ban on spring hunting. Our joint team have been back on the island since the end of April to monitor all known hunting grounds and look for active trapping sites. This operation is a fine example of the fruits of our labour, for where we used to record hundreds of illegal shots at quails and turtle doves every day and collect dozens of bird traps, calm has now returned: so far this season the team have recorded just eight shots and have not found a single active trapping site (image is from our archive)! Therefore, this vital stopover for migratory birds off the southern Italian coast is finally becoming a safe haven once again! * * 📸 @cabs_reports | @wwfitalia | @guardiewwflombardia * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #italy

🇩🇪 Cage trap shut down in northern Germany – trap removed by a crane lorry: Following a tip-off from a member of the public, a team from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) discovered an illegal ‘ladder trap’ in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district of Schleswig-Holstein – close to the border with Denmark. The enormous trapping facility had been baited with a decomposed roe deer, a dead greylag goose and three live carrion crows. As the trap was set up on private property, we decided against monitoring it and called the police directly. The officers, who quickly attended the scene, were able to identify the suspected perpetrator – a hunter – after a short time. Apparently, his aim was to catch corvids and birds of prey. The trap was seized using a crane truck, and criminal proceedings have been initiated for animal cruelty and violations of the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Because the crows’ primary feathers had been cut off and they could not therefore be released directly into the wild, they had to be taken to a rescue and rehabilitation centre near Kiel. * * 📸 @cabs_reports * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #germany

🇱🇧 Action against bird trapping in Lebanon: The song of the whitethroat is the perfect accompaniment to spring in this sunny weather and warm temperatures. At present, these little singers can be heard mainly in woods, hedgerows and copses. In the Mediterranean region, however, the birds are popular in many places primarily as a seasonal food source and are trapped illegally in large numbers. In Lebanon, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), together with our partners at MECSHAP @antipoaching_unit are therefore taking regular action against this practice. Having already managed to shut down several trapping sites using limesticks this season, we have now caught a bird trapper using illegal nets near Byblos. In addition to two large mist-nets, the police also found two electronic decoy callers. Although the perpetrator fled during the operation, he was identified using our evidence. As a result, the police @lebisf have already initiated criminal proceedings. We also found eight freshly caught warblers locked in a small cage, presumably to be ‘processed’ later. We released the birds immediately. A blood stained bucket left behind by the perpetrator unfortunately suggests that he had already caught dozens more before we were able to put a stop to his crimes. Big thanks to the Lebanese Security Forces @lebisf for their cooperation and rapid response 👏 * * 📸 @cabs_reports | @antipoaching_unit * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #lebanon

🇬🇷 CABS and BirdLife Greece to Challenge Zakynthos Mayor with Public Mandate to End Illegal Hunting: The Greek island of Zakynthos is a veritable graveyard for migratory birds. Especially in spring, hunters go on strictly prohibited hunts for protected species – turtle doves and orioles are particularly affected. This spring, we are supporting our hard-working teams on the ground in their dangerous work with a protest campaign. Together with our partners at BirdLife Greece - @ornithologiki , we have sent over 10,000 protest postcards to the Mayor of Zakynthos. We have now handed over some of the postcards at the Mayor’s office to make it clear once again in person that we will not give in or let up. Our call for greater support from the authorities is certainly falling on fertile ground: proof of this comes from the participants in the bird protection camp on the holiday island, who, together with the Police and Game Wardens, have already caught 16 poachers engaging in illegal spring hunting since the beginning of April! 📰 Read todays full joint Press Release by following the link in our story feed and bio. * * 📸 @cabs_reports | @ornithologiki * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #greece

🇮🇹 Honey buzzard hunting in southern Italy: The shooting of birds of prey has a long and sad tradition around the Strait of Messina – the strait between Sicily and the Italian mainland. Following decades of efforts by Italian nature conservation organisations, honey buzzards, marsh harriers and hobbies can now migrate through the area with some degree of safety. However, the discovery of a shot honey buzzard near Orti in Sicily shows that there is still no reason to sound the all-clear: the bird was found during an operation by the @gruppo_adorno_volont_antibracc , which receives financial support from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), and was taken to the CRAS Messina wildlife rescue centre. During the veterinary examination, shotgun pellets were found in the body of the strictly protected bird. Staff from Gruppo Adorno will be monitoring areas notorious for illegal bird hunting until mid-May to safeguard this important migration route in southern Italy as best they can. * * 📸 @cabs_reports | @gruppo_adorno_volont_antibracc * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #italy

🇲🇹 Action against bird trappers in Malta: Over the past few days, participants in the Committee’s bird protection camp in Malta have taken targeted action against illegal bird trapping. Whilst in March poachers mainly targeted finches such as linnets and goldfinches, in late spring their focus has shifted to pipits, ortolans and turtle doves, which are highly sought after as live decoy birds. During our investigations on the west coast and on the neighbouring island of Gozo, the authorities have apprehended six offenders. Five pairs of clap-nets and a trapping cage were seized, as were seven tree pipits, four ortolans, a short-toed lark and two unidentified finches. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the offenders, and the birds have been released. The bird protection campaign in Malta, which began in early March, will continue until the end of next week. * * 📸 @cabs_reports * * * #committeeagainstbirdslaughter #birdprotection #antipoaching #komiteegegendenvogelmord #malta