14.07.2026

Following the threshing of the barley in the Börde region between Aachen and Cologne at the end of June, the harvest of wheat, spelt and triticale is now in full swing. 

The harvest period coincides with the nestling phase, particularly for Montagu’s harriers, as most chicks will only be old enough in about two weeks’ time to safely leave their ground nests in the fields. We have therefore established nest protection zones for 13 Montagu’s harrier broods so far, in consultation with farmers and nature conservation authorities. Four more will follow in the coming days.

You can find out more about our harriers’ project in Germany here.

13.07.2026

Last weekend, an international team from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) hosted a stand at the world’s largest ornithology and bird conservation fair, the Global Birdfair, in Rutland, England. 

As we do every year, we once again told hundreds of bird enthusiasts about our campaigns to protect migratory birds from poaching. We were also supported by Megan McCubbin, one of the UK’s leading voices for nature conservation. She has previously joined us at our bird conservation camp in Cyprus. Together, we once again promoted our protest campaign on the Greek island of Zakynthos. 

We would particularly like to thank Megan, the organisers, our sponsors at InSite Graphics and everyone who stopped by for the many lovely conversations. Such encouragement and words of praise really do us good and motivate us for our next campaigns this autumn!

23.07.2026

In the district of Schaumburg, the police seized an active goshawk trap on the premises of a pigeon fancier. The officers had found the device in the immediate vicinity of the dovecote. The operation was triggered by a report from the committee, which had informed the authorities. Although the use of goshawk traps is strictly prohibited, the traps are freely available for sale and can easily be ordered online from hunting outfitters and mail-order suppliers specialising in poultry breeding. Buyers are merely advised to comply with ‘statutory regulations’ when using the trap. Our statistics show that, in many cases, they fail to do so: since 2005, we have already documented 207 cases of the illegal use of hawk-catching cages in Germany!

19.06.2026

In Lebanon, a team from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and our partners at MECSHAP Anti-Poaching Unit discovered strictly protected birds during an inspection of pet shops in the town of Baalbeck. In addition to four black headed bunting, the trader was also selling two Syrian serins – an endemic species that breeds in a tiny range in the mountains along the Syrian - Lebanese border and in Jordan. The global population of this small finch is estimated at 4,000 individuals, making it highly sought-after by animal collectors.

Due to the extremely tense security situation in the Baalbeck region, it was not possible to inform the police. The trader handed over the birds after we had explained the legal situation to him – they were released unharmed near Deir El Ahmar in the Bekaa Valley.

Find out more about our campaigns in Lebanon here. 

12.06.2026

Montagu's harriers and marsh harriers build their nests in grain fields, where the young birds risk ending up in a combine harvester during the harvest. In the Zülpich Börde region between Cologne and Aachen, we search for the nests of these endangered migratory birds and protect them together with farmers - a nest protection zone is left standing during harvesting. 

With the hatching of the marsh harrier chicks, the next phase of our project has begun. During inspections of nests that had already been found, we have identified young birds between one and twelve days old over the past few days. Together with the region’s biological stations, the lower nature conservation authorities, and the affected farmers, the nests will be protected over the next two weeks so that the chicks are not accidentally killed during the harvest.

You can learn more about our harrier project in Germany here.

05.06.2026

Since February, around 100 volunteers and our team leaders have taken part in anti-poaching operations in Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus, Lebanon, and Germany. Altogether, we were able to identify and report 97 poachers. The authorities confiscated 58 mist-nets, 43 pairs of clap-nets, 362 limesticks, 107 other traps, 29 electronic decoys, 16 shotguns, 564 rounds of ammunition, and nearly 400 live birds. 

At first glance, these figures may seem alarming, but they actually demonstrate the significant decline in springtime poaching. We have never encountered so few traps in a spring season before!

You can read the CABS Spring Report 2026 in full in the downloads and reports section of our website here.

28.05.2026

The illegal persecution of birds of prey is still one of the biggest wildlife conservation problems in Germany. In most cases, the perpetrators are trying to protect chickens, pigeons, and pheasants. Committee members once again carried out inspections in nine federal states this year. Based on our information, the police identified 3 suspects using raptor traps. At the same time, our reporting center processed more than 100 suspected cases. In 20 of these cases, the suspicion was confirmed. These involved 7 cases of trapping protected species, 6 shootings, 3 poisonings, and 4 other methods of persecution. At least 17 birds were demonstrably injured or killed. Several animals with suspected poisoning are still under investigation, and we continue to monitor a whole series of trap locations where the capture devices are currently inactive.

22.05.2026

Montagu's harriers and marsh harriers build their nests in grain fields, where the young birds risk ending up in the combine harvester during the harvest. In the Zülpich Börde between Cologne and Aachen, we search for the nests of these endangered migratory birds and protect them together with the farmers — a nest protection zone is left standing during mowing. This “hot phase” of the harrier season normally only begins with the grain harvest in summer, but now we already had to secure a first clutch: Near Nörvenich (Düren district), a pair of marsh harriers had chosen a ryegrass field of all places to raise their young, and it was scheduled to be mowed as early as May 21. The nest protection zone was marked out and equipped with an electric pasture fence. We are currently monitoring a dozen more broods in grain fields — there is no danger there yet.

Watch a short video reel of the rescue here.

20.05.2026

Our bird protection camp in Malta has come to an end after 10 weeks. In total, we were able to catch and help convict 28 poachers: 24 of them were using clap-nets and bird traps, primarily to catch finches, but also other songbirds, quails and turtle doves. Four people were reported for illegal hunting. They had shot kestrels, turtle doves and waders; one was caught in a protected area where hunting is prohibited. 

The police seized a total of 42 pairs of clap-nets, one cage trap, 12 electronic decoys and 61 birds from the offenders. With the end of the bird migration, hunters and poachers are now taking a break – we will resume our operations in Malta in August with a campaign against the illegal trapping of waders.