Valletta’s Important Bird Area continues to be the centre of attention for wintering White Wagtails from Europe, a survey carried out this month by BirdLife Malta has revealed.

This natural spectacle occurs every year in the trees of the Great Siege Square and around St John’s Co-Cathedral. The area is designated as a national Important Bird Area for its winter roost of White Wagtails, and held its largest number of these species to date, with 7,761 White Wagtails recorded compared to 5,433 the year before.

White Wagtails are winter visitors to the Maltese islands and can be easily recognised by their white and black plumage and constantly wagging tail. The wagtails roost (rest and sleep) at night in the trees in the Great Siege square in Valletta as the trees are large enough to provide the protection, shelter and warmth the birds need. During the day, these birds travel to areas throughout Malta to feed in urban and rural habitats.

‘It is great to see these birds doing so well, with a 42.8% increase on last year’s total,’ said Mr Denis Cachia, BirdLife Malta Council member, who coordinated the count. ‘BirdLife Malta has been carrying out roost counts at this site since 1986 and the general trend of the wintering population appears to be a steady increase.’

A total of 15 BirdLife Malta volunteers took part in the roost count on the 10th of January. Ringing recoveries from the BirdLife Malta ringing scheme have shown that these birds come from at least five European countries, namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Denmark and Sweden.

‘The results of our survey stress the importance of Valletta’s Important Bird Area,’ continued Mr Cachia. ‘While these trees may pass un-noticed by people on a day-to-day basis, they are a critical refuge for these wintering European visitors. This is why the trees in the Great Siege Square have been designated as a national Important Bird Area and it is therefore vital that this, and other, urban green spaces are protected.’

The winter roost of White Wagtails is an annual spectacle, with the majority of birds arriving in November and leaving in March. To fully appreciate the wagtails coming in to roost, stand in the Great Siege Square just before sunset and watch the birds as they flock in to the trees.

Photo above: A White Wagtail, a winter visitor from Europe. This species roosts in very large numbers in trees in the Great Siege Square, which has led to the site being designated as a national Important Bird Area, photographer – Denis Cachia.

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