A bird of prey was shot down as it flew over Bishop’s Cleeve.
Wildlife rescuers were able to save the buzzard after it was rescued by a woman who spotted it lying injured on a footpath.
She took it to Vale Wildlife Hospital in Beckford near Tewkesbury, where it is receiving treatment.
An X-ray revealed two pellets were stuck in the bird’s wing, which was fractured.
Martin Brookes, who works at the rescue centre, said: “It is illegal to shoot any bird of prey, so someone has committed an offence.
“It was grounded and a bird like that is vulnerable to predators.”
Martin said the wounds on the bird’s wing were causing it a problem, so they had been strapped down to stop them flapping.
“There are a couple of pellets left in the wing because the surgery to remove them can do more harm than leaving them there,” he said.
He added that the buzzard was making progress, but was not “out of the woods”.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds this week sent a petition to the Government about bird of prey shootings.
Gloucestershire spokesman, Tony Whitehead, said: “It is a practice we want to see stopped. It is against the law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
“If you come across an injured bird, take photos with a camera or mobile phone and report it to the police. However, the public do need to take caution when approaching an injured bird in case it has been poisoned.”
