The National Parks and Wildlife Service is appealing for information relating to a buzzard found dead on the R422, just south of Emo, Co Laois.
The bird was perched on a tree on the roadside when it was shot with a shotgun at around 7.50am on 5 December.
The firearm was discharged from the road on the south side of the village.
The investigating Wildlife Ranger said a shot was heard and the dead buzzard was found by a member of the public.
A spent shotgun cartridge was also found.
The NPWS is interested in information about a vehicle that was recorded on CCTV in the area – it's believed that individuals may be driving around looking for buzzards and then shooting them from a vehicle.
Anyone with information - particularly about vehicles or persons acting suspiciously in Emo on the morning of 5 December - is asked to contact the NPWS regional office at (0761) 002667, or to contact gardaí.
Buzzards are a protected species. They became extinct in Ireland in the late 19th century but were re-established in Northern Ireland in the 1930s.
