Migrant birds in Malta 'shot as trophies', says Chris Packham

Migrating birds are being illegally shot as "trophies" while flying over Malta, broadcaster Chris Packham has said.

Large numbers of birds pass over the Mediterranean island, which lies along a major migratory route between Europe and Africa.

The BBC's wildlife expert told the Today programme that Malta has the "highest density" of illegal bird hunters in the world.

But Sergei Golovkin, head of Malta's Wild Birds Regulation Unit, said that the use of extra enforcement officers had "dramatically" reduced the practice.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday 22 April.