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.
Sensational news: Successful harrier brood in the Rhineland
18.08.2026
This year, for the first time, a pair of harriers – a species threatened with extinction in Germany – bred in our harrier project area. This was one of fewer than ten breeding pairs nationwide and the first brood in the Zülpicher Börde since 1891.
As the female disappeared shortly after the chicks hatched, the male took charge of rearing them – behaviour that is highly unusual for harriers. Last week, the first hen harrier in 135 years fledged in the Zülpicher Börde!
You can find out more about our harriers’ project in Germany here.
Record for the Harrier Protection Project in Germany!
03.08.2026
The breeding season for Marsh and Montagu’s harriers is now largely over. Since the end of April, CABS staff have found a total of 29 nests of these ground-nesting birds of prey in the crop fields - 20 Marsh and 9 Montagu’s nests. For 7 Montagu’s harrier broods and 10 marsh harrier broods, a 20x20-metre nest protection zone had to be established to prevent the nests from ending up in the combine harvester and to protect the chicks from predators.
At least 23 young Montagu’s harriers and 26 marsh harriers have fledged. This is the best result we’ve had since the project began in 2004!
Learn more about our harrier protection project here.
Court Halts Turtle Dove Hunting in Sicily
30.07.2026
Due to a court ruling, turtle doves may not be hunted in Sicily for the time being! The hunting season in Italy always begins on the third Sunday in September—this year, September 20. The endangered turtle dove is among the first species to migrate to Africa in late summer—when it flies over Sicily, hunting is not yet permitted. To allow hunters to shoot these coveted migratory birds anyway, the Region of Sicily permits the hunting season to start earlier each year. That won’t happen this year, however, because the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), together with its Italian partners Green Impact, Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura, and LEAL, filed a lawsuit against the early start and won the case!
CABS host our stand again at the Global Birdfair!
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!
Bird of prey poacher caught in Lower Saxony
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!
Lebanon: Endangered Species as Pets
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.
Harrier project in Germany: First chicks hatched!
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.
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.
