First little egrets to nest in Malta

A pair of little egrets have nested for the first time in Malta, laying three eggs, the conservation organisation BirdLife Malta said yesterday.

The birds, known locally as agrett abjad, were known to be breeding by last June by a landowner who spotted the birds on his property in the Salina area. He immediately informed BirdLife about the activity and invited members of the organisation to visit.

Three eggs were laid but, unfortunately, none hatched. Nonetheless, BirdLife said that the breeding was very significant, since it proves that many species of birds can breed in Malta when given the chance.

The news was kept under wraps, in fact, precisely to protect the birds from rogue hunters.

BirdLife conservation manager Andrè Raine said that, while common in migration, the elegant little egret has never before been reported to have nested locally, making this a breakthrough in local bird conservation efforts.

The development could be attributed to the fact that for the first time the spring hunting season was significantly shortened, Dr Raine said, while at the same time pressure on illegal hunting was increased.

Little egrets are small, pure white, herons that migrate over Malta in spring and autumn. They often use the mudflats of areas such as Salina and Ghadira Nature Reserve to rest and feed before continuing their migration.

BirdLife suspects that the eggs failed to hatch because there was only one little egret left by the end of June to incubate the eggs, which meant that proper incubation may not have been possible. The fate of the other little egret is not known.

With more resources, law enforcement officers would be able to have more effective control on illegal hunting which could, in turn, lead to Malta beginning to see a resurgence of breeding species, Dr Raine said. This could includes species such as the peregrine falcon and the barn owl, which both bred regularly in Malta in the past but due to illegal hunting no longer do.