Bird of prey poachers caught in Lebanon
25.09.2026
During recent autumn migration operations along mountain passes in central Lebanon, teams from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and our partners from MECSHAP Anti-Poaching Unit documented widespread illegal shooting of migratory raptors and worked with local police to bring multiple poachers to justice.
Evidence led officers to arrest three men north-west of Beirut, seizing three shotguns after they shot a Levant sparrowhawk and a European honey buzzard. Authorities also launched criminal proceedings against three additional fleeing poachers identified via field footage after killing a bee-eater and a honey buzzard. CABS's anti-poaching field camps will continue until the end of October to protect passing raptors and songbirds.
A short reel can also been seen via our instagram page here.
The fight against Cyprus’ illegal bird slaughter continues
24.09.2026
Three weeks into our autumn camp in Cyprus, CABS teams are pushing hard against illegal trapping on the frontlines - uncovering 40 active trapping sites, prosecuting 13 poachers, seizing 198 limesticks and 13 electronic callers, and successfully rescuing 106 live birds from the traps (with 94 sadly found dead).
Yet, weak fines are treated as a minor cost of business by high-profit black-market operators, and enforcement gaps persist with zero prosecutions achieved so far in the British Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia. Building on the momentum from last year's 'Operation Dead Air' campaign with Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin, we are pleading with authorities in both the Republic of Cyprus and the UK Base Areas to urgently deploy the patrols needed to end this barbaric ecocide once and for all!
Find out more about our Cyprus campaign here.
Italy: 9 poachers caught, 560 bird traps seized
19.09.2026
In the mountainous region between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda, we have concluded our campaign against the trapping of black redstarts, tree pipits and redstarts, achieving our best result to date!
Working closely with the authorities, our teams – alongside volunteers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and Italy – caught a total of nine poachers in the act. The officers were able to seize 543 snap traps, 19 nets, three decoys, one cage trap and 157 dead birds.
Fifty-eight live birds were released or taken to rescue centres following our instructions. During this operation, we collected more traps than in the whole of last year, which is particularly remarkable for our late-summer campaign.
Find out more about our bird protection campaigns in Italy here.
Turtle doves hunting massacre in Malta
16.09.2026
In recent days, hunters in Malta have killed hundreds of turtle doves – a species classified as endangered across Europe – whilst they were migrating to their wintering grounds.
During an inspection in Mizieb – Malta’s largest forest area – our Bird Guards found the remains of more than 60 freshly shot specimens of this globally endangered species yesterday. We cannot prove whether they were shot before or after the official hunting quota of 500 birds was reached on Monday. One thing is certain: the turtle dove is fighting for survival across Europe. Every single dead bird is a bitter blow to species conservation. CABS will continue to be on the ground over the coming weeks to document irresponsible hunting practices and to work with the police to crack down on illegal bird trapping. Find out more about our Malta campaign here.
The Single Dad Hen Harrier: A 135-Year Conservation Miracle!
11.09.2026
Today we have released video footage providing the first evidence of a ‘single-parent’ male rearing harrier chicks. This is the world’s first video evidence of this behaviour in this species. The footage shows how, after the female’s disappearance, the male independently carves up his prey and feeds the chicks beak-to-beak. He also shields them from the sun’s rays and keeps them warm at night – tasks that, in harrier populations, are usually carried out only by the females. The harrier brood in the Zülpicher Börde is one of fewer than 10 broods of this species in the whole of Germany and the first in the region for 135 years.
You can find the link to the video on our YouTube channel showing the full story here.
First poachers caught in Cyprus – 44 birds freed!
10.09.2026
During the first few days of our bird conservation camp in Cyprus, our teams caught two bird poachers in the south-east of the island using illegal decoys and an unauthorised hunting weapon. We were able to catch a third person – the first bird trapper of this year’s operation – with no fewer than four nets.
At a fourth location, we worked with gamekeepers to remove almost 30 glue traps. In total, following our tips, the officials seized four nets, four decoy devices, a long-barrelled firearm and 28 glue traps. We were also able to free 44 live birds from the traps and release them, including nightingales, red-backed shrikes, reed warblers and grasshopper warblers. Let’s keep it up!
Find out more about our campaigns in Cyprus here.
Lebanon mission goes ahead despite the Middle-East conflict
08.09.2026
Our bird protection camp in Lebanon is not for the faint-hearted: despite the tense and unstable situation in the region, the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), together with its local partner MECSHAP, has launched our autumn bird protection camp in Lebanon.
Our teams, stationed along key flyways, are working alongside local nature lovers and the authorities to protect millions of migratory birds on their crucial journey along the African-Eurasian flyway. The focus is on protecting migratory birds of prey and combating the illegal trapping of birds using nets and glue sticks.
Read more about our Lebanon project here.
Italy: 3 poachers caught, 70 bird traps seized
27.08.2026
A good start to our bird protection camp in Italy: in the mountains between Lake Garda and Lake Iseo, we caught three bird trappers. The men – including two licensed hunters – had been catching protected black redstarts and redstarts using illegal snap traps and were caught by the authorities following our tip-off. A total of 70 traps were seized, along with two decoy devices and 40 dead songbirds, predominantly black redstarts. In addition, a good dozen decoy birds being kept illegally in cages were freed, including chaffinches, thrushes and red-crossbills.
Our operation in northern Italy will continue until the end of the black redstart migration in September. Find out more about our campaigns in Italy here.
Italy, France, Malta: Start of the 2026 summer campaigns
21.08.2026
Our summer campaigns begin with the start of the bird migration. As soon as the birds arrive in the Mediterranean region, the first poachers are lying in wait for these feathered visitors with traps, nets and shotguns. For us, the campaign is now getting underway in the south of France, northern Italy and Malta. The focus is on combating the trapping and shooting of songbirds as well as the trapping of waders such as various plovers and sandpipers. We expect around 25 participants across the four smaller campaigns.
Find out more about our bird protection camps here.
The campaigns for better protection of migratory birds are funded almost exclusively by donations – find out how you can help here.
Your Donation Makes a Difference!
Your donation will enable us to fund our campaigns and bird protection camps throughout Europe, to 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, we do not receive public funds and we refuse business sponsorships. CABS is recognised as non-profit, thus, donations are tax-deductible. For a donation of 25 € or more, you will receive a donation receipt at the beginning of the following year.
