Europe's birds over Malta
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Geoffrey Saliba
BirdLife Malta Campaigns Coordinator
Staring intently at the sky through our binoculars, on the look out for interesting birds of prey, the day did not disappoint us as Marsh Harriers, Honey-buzzards, various falcon species and even a Lesser Spotted Eagle and an Egyptian Vulture, two rare birds for Malta, appeared overhead, circling, looking for a place to roost for the night. This happened on the 28th of last September, during the autumn migration when large numbers of birds use Malta as a stepping stone during their migration.
Many birds of prey arrive in Malta in the afternoon, tired after a day's migration followed by a sea crossing.
These birds fly low over the islands as they search out a roost site for the night. Photo by Neil Wright.
Every year after the spring and summer breeding seasons, Europe's birds migrate to avoid winter's cold and lack of food, heading to Africa where during these months the weather is more hospitable and food more abundant.
Many birds avoid flying long distances over the seas because if the weather turns foul or the birds tire there would be nowhere to stop and rest. This is why Europe's birds use three main routes which minimize sea crossings to reach Africa – the west over Gibralter, the east over the Bosporus and the central Mediterranean over Italy, Sicily and Malta. Of these three routes the longest stretch of water to cross is on the central Mediterranean and this is why the Maltese Islands are important as resting spots where birds can rest and regain their strength before continuing their arduous journey to Africa.
One of Malta's more common birds of prey, the Honey-buzzard is a common site in September
and can be seen from quite close at sites like Buskett and the Dingli cliffs. Photo by Aron Tanti.
To date 398 bird species have been recorded over Malta, of which 170 are annual migrants. During the autumn migration some of the larger and more spectacular birds, such as eagles and storks, come in late in the afternoon, often circling over parts of the islands as they search for a comfortable place to spend the night.
Malta has a big reputation for the persecution of protected birds by illegal hunters. Unfortunately the reputation is deserved and protected birds get shot down every migration season. BirdLife Malta is the main organisation working to stop these illegalities and every autumn the conservation organisation organises a two week long camp during the peak migration period for birds of prey. During this camp, international volunteers join local volunteers in recording bird migration and deterring illegalities by maintaining a strong presence in the countryside. The teams are easily recognizable by their red t-shirts and their binoculars, telescopes, cameras and camcorders. If you happen to meet them out in the countryside do say hello, they'll be more than happy to share sights of migrating birds with you.
These birds can often be seen resting and feeding at the Ghadira Nature Reserve,
spending the night there before leaving early the next day. Photo by Ray Galea.
It is not only the birds of prey that offer nature lovers a treat on those autumn afternoons. Many other bird species also stop off in Malta. Colourful Bee-eaters are normally heard before they are seen, their contact call giving flocks away. Herons and egrets are common visitors to the islands and close ups of them can be seen from the hidden bird watching hides in the Ghadira Nature Reserve in Mellieha as well as the Is-Simar Nature Reserve in Xemxija. Many other species frequent Malta during this period and the variety enriches the experience.
Migration in Malta can be unpredictable. There are days when you will see few birds and then there are days where you will see hundreds of birds of prey of different species circling over the woodland bird sanctuary of Buskett. This is what makes bird watching on September afternoons so enjoyable – you never know when you are going to be in the right place at the right time to witness a spectacle.
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