You’ve probably seen and heard the little, slender white and grey birds that inhabit in their thousands, the trees near St John’s Co-Cathedral and the law courts in Valletta.
Known as the White Wagtail (Zakak Abjad in Maltese), these urban birds migrate to Malta’s milder winter climate to roost in those mature trees and in two other localities—Mosta and Buġibba.
The annual roost count that took place on 17 January by BirdLife volunteers and members of the public, showed that there are over 16,000 White Wagtails in the three localities. Valletta holds, by far, the largest population with 13,686 birds recorded on the day. They roost in the mature Ficus trees around St John’s Co-Cathedral and BirdLife has been monitoring this roost since 1985.
Additional counts recorded 923 birds in Mosta and 1,712 in Bugibba, bringing the national total to 16,326 White Wagtails.
BirdLife volunteers carried out the count using an established methodology from strategic locations around the capital city. Alice Tribe, BirdLife Malta’s Conservation Coordinator, who organises the annual count, said it is one of Malta’s longest-running citizen science initiatives.
“The continued support of volunteers allows us to track long-term trends while highlighting the importance of protecting urban habitats that these birds depend on each winter,” she said.
Members of the public joined BirdLife Malta’s team at Hastings Gardens atop Valletta to witness the sunset arrival of hundreds of birds into the capital city. They were joined by the Valletta Mayor Olaf McKay, who described the Valletta roost as a remarkable example of nature thriving in an urban setting.
“Supporting initiatives like this helps raise awareness of the need to care for our trees and green spaces for both wildlife and the community,” he said.
Also present was a representative from APS Bank, which is supporting BirdLife Malta in raising awareness about urban birds.
At the end of the event, volunteers, and members of the public gathered in front of the Law Courts, where they observed the White Wagtails settling into their roost with the help of a thermal camera, allowing the birds to be viewed without disturbance.
White Wagtails migrate each autumn from northern Europe to winter in Malta’s milder climate, gathering at communal roosts at dusk. BirdLife Malta emphasised the importance of protecting mature Ficus trees, essential for roosting, and recommends avoiding pruning between October and March to prevent disturbance during the wintering period.