The quail hunting season has begun, including in many Balkan countries. Illegal methods, such as decoys, are often used. The high numbers of birds shot poses a major threat to these increasingly rare birds.
Radolfzell. It is estimated that at least 160,000 quails are killed illegally every year in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The same illegal method is often used for hunting: the poachers place sound lures in meadows and fields at night to attract the flocks of quail, migrating to their wintering grounds in Africa. The birds, about the size of a common blackbird, are tricked by the lure calls of their species, settling down in the darkness. Then, at sunrise the poachers shoot the birds by the thousands. In this way, they kill far more quails using illegal sound lures than by legal methods.
The quail (Coturnix coturnix) is the only long-distance migrant among European gallinaceous birds (the family of chickens, turkeys etc.). Thousands used to be seen migrating along the coasts of the Mediterranean, but today there are far fewer.
© Karin Herr
EuroNatur and its partner organisations in the Balkans are campaigning for an end to illegal quail hunting and have now published an up-to-date map showing where in these countries quails are demonstrably being shot using illegal methods. The density is particularly high in Serbia. “Poaching sites are mostly recurring. As soon as we discover a decoy, we can come back practically every week and report the decoys,” says Sandra Jovanović from the EuroNatur partner organisation BPSSS (Serbia). “Nevertheless, the illegal killing of quails in Serbia has actually increased over the past two years, which may be due to better prevention in Croatia. There has been a decline in illegal hunting there.”
Quail hunting range: The mass shooting of quail is a huge loss for this endangered species. In Germany, the quail enjoys a year-round closed season.
© Milan Ružić
“The illegal killing of quails in the Balkans is not just a local problem, but a European one,” said Dr Justine Vansynghel, project manager for migratory bird conservation at the international nature conservation foundation EuroNatur. “The species has become rare in its northern range due to the intensification of agriculture. The population loss caused by illegal killing along the Adriatic migration route is another factor that could lead to the collapse of Central European quail populations,” says the biologist.
“The illegal killing of quails using tape recorders is mainly carried out by hunting tourism agencies and hunting societies that organise quail hunting for foreign hunters. They often openly advertise that they offer their clients unlimited hunting opportunities,” says Tibor Mikuska from the Croatian Society for Bird and Nature Protection (HDZPP). “Moreover, the mere possession and trade in lures is not illegal and is openly advertised on online shops. This makes it difficult to effectively remove such illegally installed devices in the field.”
