A total of 15 accessible nests of Yelkouan Shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan) were regularly monitor... more A total of 15 accessible nests of Yelkouan Shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan) were regularly monitored at the largest breeding colony in Malta, and the arrival and departure time of each individual adult parent bird from these study nests were logged. Observations focusing primarily on the arrival and departure times, duration of time spent inside the nest and the amount of food presented to the chicks are given.
Key recommendations to the Government to meet its EU obligations include; (i) designate the Gozo ... more Key recommendations to the Government to meet its EU obligations include; (i) designate the Gozo Channel as a Marine SPA by end 2008 (data exist but require analysis by BirdLife Malta, which we hope to complete shortly); (ii) designate seaward extensions to coastal SPAs holding breeding colonies (additional data to that presented by Borg and Sultana (2004) exists, but requires analysis; in some cases, more research will also be required, but at key sites such
The presence of Hemidactylus turcicus (L.) on Fungus Rock is recorded for the first time, while i... more The presence of Hemidactylus turcicus (L.) on Fungus Rock is recorded for the first time, while its presence on Filfla is confirmed. Other specimens were observed on Filfla and one was tentatively identified as Tarentola mauritanica (L.).
The genus Hyphantria Harris, 1841 and the species Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) are recorded for... more The genus Hyphantria Harris, 1841 and the species Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) are recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands. Notes on the distribution, habits of the adult and larval host plant are included. A Maltese name is proposed for this new record.
The genus Opogona Zeller, 1853 and the species Opogona sacchari (Bojer, 1856) are recorded for th... more The genus Opogona Zeller, 1853 and the species Opogona sacchari (Bojer, 1856) are recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Nov 25, 2021
The aim of this note is to correct the identity of the only Nola Leach species occurring on the M... more The aim of this note is to correct the identity of the only Nola Leach species occurring on the Maltese Islands, from Nola cristatula (Hübner, 1793) to Nola chlamitulalis (Hübner, [1813]).
Various members contributed their records through the Birders Diary Programme, which is coordinat... more Various members contributed their records through the Birders Diary Programme, which is coordinated by Manwel Mallia. Records of species, which have appeared less than twenty times in the Maltese islands, and which are appearing in this list have been controlled by John Attard Montalto Coordinator of the Rarities Committee. The sequence and the scientific nomenclature of the last systematic list, which covered the years 1 993-1995 and which was published in 1999 (/1-Meri//29: 30-57) followed those adopted by the Concise Edition of Birds of the Western Palearctic (Snow & Perrins 1998). Since then there were several taxonomic developments due to the publication of various phylogenetic studies. The British Ornithologists Union (Ibis (2002), 144:707-710) recommended, amongst others, a new taxonomic order, in which Anseriformes and Galliformes are placed at the start of the list, as well as correcting the spelling of various scientific names (e.g Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida and not C. hybridus; Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla and not R. ignicapillus). Since then other modifications and corrections in scientific names (Ibis (2004), 146: 153-157; and Ibis (2005), 147: 821-826) were also recommended (e.g. a reappraisal of the taxa of Aquila and Hieraaetus recommended that Booted Eagle should be treated as Aquila pennata; that Skuas should be treated as a single genus (Great Skua is now Stercorarius skua); and that Yellow-Legged Gull L. michahellis, Armenian Gull L. armenicus and Herring Gull L. argentatus are best treated as three separate species). Changes in the generic limits of terns and swallows have also been made. These have put Little Tern with the genus Sternula, Caspian Tern with Hydroprogne, Gull-billed Tern goes back to Gelochelidon; and Red-rumped Swallow with genus Cecropis. Other changes include the correction of scientific names: House Martin is De/ichon urbicum not D. urbica while Stonechat is Saxicola torquatus not S. torquata. The sequence of the genus Sylvia was changed starting from Blackcap Sylvia atricapilia and ending with Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala; while Corn Bunting is back with the genus Emberiza. In compiling this list we have taken up these recommendations, which are becoming widely adopted. The English names used in the last systematic list were those adopted by British Birds in 1993 (Brit. Birds 86: 1-2). Unfortunately some of these 'new' English names did not become widely used even in Britain. Some names such as 'Hedge Accentor', 'Rufous Nightingale' and 'Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin' were completely ignored so much so that after 1 i years British Birds felt it was appropriate, particularly in view of all the taxonomic development, to review and update the list of English names (Brit. Birds (2004) 97: 2-5). We are here following this reviewed and updated list, which can be found and down-loaded from www.britishbirds.co.uk (the British Birds Website). Thus, amongst others, Levantine Shean.vater is novv Yelkouan Shearwater5 Hedge Accentor goes back to Dunnock, Rufous Nightingale changes its adjective to Common, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin becomes Rufous Bush Robin, etc. For those species, which did not appear in all the 4 years under review, the year during which a species has not been recorded has been omitted. (M) or (G) following a place name refers to Malta and Gozo respectively.
BIRDLIFE !\MLTA. was founded as The Malta Ornithological Society (MOS) in 1962 to work for the pr... more BIRDLIFE !\MLTA. was founded as The Malta Ornithological Society (MOS) in 1962 to work for the protection and study of birds and their habitats in Malta. BIRDUFE MALTA is a partner of Birdlite International and it is the oldest and largest environmental NGO in the country. Among its commitments, the Society coordinates a research group to carry out bird studies in Malta. The group also runs the Valletta Bird Ringing Scheme, which is a member of EURI!\!G. BIRDLIFE MALTA publishes a bimonthly Newsletter BirdTa!k and its annual review Bird's Eye View for its members. It has a junior section Kiabb Huttaf, with its own activities and a bimonthly magazine 11-Huttafa. BIRDLIFE MALTA manages two nature reserves-Ghadira and ls-Simar. Membership of BIRDLIFE MALTA LM4 for Adults (overseas £13 I 20 €) per annum.
The Mediterranean Basin is a biodiversity hotspot. Wetlands make a key contribution to this statu... more The Mediterranean Basin is a biodiversity hotspot. Wetlands make a key contribution to this status, but many of them remain outside the Ramsar network fifty years after the establishment of the Ramsar Convention. Here we evaluate the extent to which the Mediterranean Ramsar network covers wetlands of international importance for wintering waterbirds using the Ramsar Convention criteria 2 (species of conservation concern), 5 (> 20,000 waterbirds) and 6 (1% of a population). These criteria were applied to 4186 sites in 24 Mediterranean countries using counts of 145 wintering waterbird species from 1991 to 2017. We identified 161 sites of international importance for waterbirds that have not yet been declared as Ramsar sites, which could be added to the 180 current Mediterranean Ramsar sites established based on waterbird criteria (criteria 5 and/or 6). Among these sites, a subset of 32 very important sites reached double the required level for at least one criterion and 95 were not protected by any site conservation status. Coastal wetlands represented half of the Ramsar gap for waterbirds. We identified that an additional 1218 monitored sites could be provisionally considered as internationally important and thus require more survey efforts to assess their status. This study highlights a lack of participation of the Mediterranean countries to build the Ramsar network for wetland protection. Our results should help policymakers and managers to prioritize future Ramsar site designation, notably in the Middle East and Western European region where important gaps were identified.
Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms t... more Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species...
A total of 15 accessible nests of Yelkouan Shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan) were regularly monitor... more A total of 15 accessible nests of Yelkouan Shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan) were regularly monitored at the largest breeding colony in Malta, and the arrival and departure time of each individual adult parent bird from these study nests were logged. Observations focusing primarily on the arrival and departure times, duration of time spent inside the nest and the amount of food presented to the chicks are given.
Key recommendations to the Government to meet its EU obligations include; (i) designate the Gozo ... more Key recommendations to the Government to meet its EU obligations include; (i) designate the Gozo Channel as a Marine SPA by end 2008 (data exist but require analysis by BirdLife Malta, which we hope to complete shortly); (ii) designate seaward extensions to coastal SPAs holding breeding colonies (additional data to that presented by Borg and Sultana (2004) exists, but requires analysis; in some cases, more research will also be required, but at key sites such
The presence of Hemidactylus turcicus (L.) on Fungus Rock is recorded for the first time, while i... more The presence of Hemidactylus turcicus (L.) on Fungus Rock is recorded for the first time, while its presence on Filfla is confirmed. Other specimens were observed on Filfla and one was tentatively identified as Tarentola mauritanica (L.).
The genus Hyphantria Harris, 1841 and the species Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) are recorded for... more The genus Hyphantria Harris, 1841 and the species Hyphantria cunea (Drury, 1773) are recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands. Notes on the distribution, habits of the adult and larval host plant are included. A Maltese name is proposed for this new record.
The genus Opogona Zeller, 1853 and the species Opogona sacchari (Bojer, 1856) are recorded for th... more The genus Opogona Zeller, 1853 and the species Opogona sacchari (Bojer, 1856) are recorded for the first time from the Maltese Islands.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Nov 25, 2021
The aim of this note is to correct the identity of the only Nola Leach species occurring on the M... more The aim of this note is to correct the identity of the only Nola Leach species occurring on the Maltese Islands, from Nola cristatula (Hübner, 1793) to Nola chlamitulalis (Hübner, [1813]).
Various members contributed their records through the Birders Diary Programme, which is coordinat... more Various members contributed their records through the Birders Diary Programme, which is coordinated by Manwel Mallia. Records of species, which have appeared less than twenty times in the Maltese islands, and which are appearing in this list have been controlled by John Attard Montalto Coordinator of the Rarities Committee. The sequence and the scientific nomenclature of the last systematic list, which covered the years 1 993-1995 and which was published in 1999 (/1-Meri//29: 30-57) followed those adopted by the Concise Edition of Birds of the Western Palearctic (Snow & Perrins 1998). Since then there were several taxonomic developments due to the publication of various phylogenetic studies. The British Ornithologists Union (Ibis (2002), 144:707-710) recommended, amongst others, a new taxonomic order, in which Anseriformes and Galliformes are placed at the start of the list, as well as correcting the spelling of various scientific names (e.g Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida and not C. hybridus; Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla and not R. ignicapillus). Since then other modifications and corrections in scientific names (Ibis (2004), 146: 153-157; and Ibis (2005), 147: 821-826) were also recommended (e.g. a reappraisal of the taxa of Aquila and Hieraaetus recommended that Booted Eagle should be treated as Aquila pennata; that Skuas should be treated as a single genus (Great Skua is now Stercorarius skua); and that Yellow-Legged Gull L. michahellis, Armenian Gull L. armenicus and Herring Gull L. argentatus are best treated as three separate species). Changes in the generic limits of terns and swallows have also been made. These have put Little Tern with the genus Sternula, Caspian Tern with Hydroprogne, Gull-billed Tern goes back to Gelochelidon; and Red-rumped Swallow with genus Cecropis. Other changes include the correction of scientific names: House Martin is De/ichon urbicum not D. urbica while Stonechat is Saxicola torquatus not S. torquata. The sequence of the genus Sylvia was changed starting from Blackcap Sylvia atricapilia and ending with Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala; while Corn Bunting is back with the genus Emberiza. In compiling this list we have taken up these recommendations, which are becoming widely adopted. The English names used in the last systematic list were those adopted by British Birds in 1993 (Brit. Birds 86: 1-2). Unfortunately some of these 'new' English names did not become widely used even in Britain. Some names such as 'Hedge Accentor', 'Rufous Nightingale' and 'Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin' were completely ignored so much so that after 1 i years British Birds felt it was appropriate, particularly in view of all the taxonomic development, to review and update the list of English names (Brit. Birds (2004) 97: 2-5). We are here following this reviewed and updated list, which can be found and down-loaded from www.britishbirds.co.uk (the British Birds Website). Thus, amongst others, Levantine Shean.vater is novv Yelkouan Shearwater5 Hedge Accentor goes back to Dunnock, Rufous Nightingale changes its adjective to Common, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin becomes Rufous Bush Robin, etc. For those species, which did not appear in all the 4 years under review, the year during which a species has not been recorded has been omitted. (M) or (G) following a place name refers to Malta and Gozo respectively.
BIRDLIFE !\MLTA. was founded as The Malta Ornithological Society (MOS) in 1962 to work for the pr... more BIRDLIFE !\MLTA. was founded as The Malta Ornithological Society (MOS) in 1962 to work for the protection and study of birds and their habitats in Malta. BIRDUFE MALTA is a partner of Birdlite International and it is the oldest and largest environmental NGO in the country. Among its commitments, the Society coordinates a research group to carry out bird studies in Malta. The group also runs the Valletta Bird Ringing Scheme, which is a member of EURI!\!G. BIRDLIFE MALTA publishes a bimonthly Newsletter BirdTa!k and its annual review Bird's Eye View for its members. It has a junior section Kiabb Huttaf, with its own activities and a bimonthly magazine 11-Huttafa. BIRDLIFE MALTA manages two nature reserves-Ghadira and ls-Simar. Membership of BIRDLIFE MALTA LM4 for Adults (overseas £13 I 20 €) per annum.
The Mediterranean Basin is a biodiversity hotspot. Wetlands make a key contribution to this statu... more The Mediterranean Basin is a biodiversity hotspot. Wetlands make a key contribution to this status, but many of them remain outside the Ramsar network fifty years after the establishment of the Ramsar Convention. Here we evaluate the extent to which the Mediterranean Ramsar network covers wetlands of international importance for wintering waterbirds using the Ramsar Convention criteria 2 (species of conservation concern), 5 (> 20,000 waterbirds) and 6 (1% of a population). These criteria were applied to 4186 sites in 24 Mediterranean countries using counts of 145 wintering waterbird species from 1991 to 2017. We identified 161 sites of international importance for waterbirds that have not yet been declared as Ramsar sites, which could be added to the 180 current Mediterranean Ramsar sites established based on waterbird criteria (criteria 5 and/or 6). Among these sites, a subset of 32 very important sites reached double the required level for at least one criterion and 95 were not protected by any site conservation status. Coastal wetlands represented half of the Ramsar gap for waterbirds. We identified that an additional 1218 monitored sites could be provisionally considered as internationally important and thus require more survey efforts to assess their status. This study highlights a lack of participation of the Mediterranean countries to build the Ramsar network for wetland protection. Our results should help policymakers and managers to prioritize future Ramsar site designation, notably in the Middle East and Western European region where important gaps were identified.
Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms t... more Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species...
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