Two new species of birds need to be added to the list visiting Malta.

One of them is a Siberian rubythroat which was caught and ringed at Rabat by Mark Gauci and Manwel Mallia on Sunday.

The bird, the size of a robin, was a first year female.

Another new species is the Whites thrush, which is also a visitor from distant Siberia. A bird of this species was shot at Bahar ic-Caghaq on October 10 last year and according to sources, another two were taken in the first week of November from Mizieb.

Other rare birds seen or ringed recently were a Dusky warbler ringed at Xemxija, which is the fourth recorded for Malta, and four yellow browed warblers, three from Ghadira and one from is-Simar reserve at Xemxija.

A male Goldeneye, a very rare duck of which there are only four records, was shot at Salina recently. It is not yet certain whether the bird was a wild one that travelled to meet its fate in Malta or whether it had escaped from some private collection.