On Friday, 5th oct. 2018, Slovenia custom officers discovered this year’s biggest shipment of dead birds. Shipment of 15 boxes was discovered on a bus coming from Romania. A detailed inspection of boxes has shown that they contain 1349 dead birds belonging to 13 protected species. The seized shipment contained 1028 individuals of the Red-throated pipit, 209 individuals of White wagtail, 73 individuals of Meadow pipit, 16 individuals of Tree pipit, 10 individuals of Eurasian skylark, and also some individuals of European goldfinch, Barn swallow, European greenfinch, Common quail, Willow warbler, Western Yellow Wagtail, Corn bunting and Common reed bunting.
The birds had been shot in Romania and were intended for the Italian black market, where they would be sold for food in the prestigious restaurants. This kind of ”special bird dishes” can be obtained only for a short period of time, especially during the autumn migration.
Seizure data
- Dead
- Date of seizure: October 5, 2018
- Numbers of seized birds: 1349
- Country: Slovenia
- Species: Passerines (songbirds)