David Borg Cardona, Marsascala
The truth about turtle dove population
In his letter of April 26, Joe Aquilina St John, has become the norm with the anti-hunting lobby, chooses to misinterpret my letter of April 22 (Turtle Doves Are A Plague).
He digresses completely from the subject by once again pulling illegal hunting or better still poaching into the story. He should by now have realised that poaching has been on the decline for the past years and I sincerely hope that he is aware of the exorbitant fines imposed on anyone caught breaking the law. These, together with a noticeable increase in enforcement, are surely a deterrent to hunters intent on flouting bird regulations. All that law-abiding hunters want is to practise what was promised to them prior to the EU accession. And that is spring hunting for two species within the framework of sustainability and yes why not, with more enforcement to see that hunting remains restricted to turtle doves and quails.
But now back to the turtle dove story. Mr Aquilina St John is trying to put words into my mouth. I was at no point implying that our farmers are facing the same hardships as the Libyan farmers who are faced daily with the ever increasing number of doves damaging their crops and neither, as he points out, have I ever heard them plead with FKNK for us to harvest turtle doves. However, the fact remains that turtle doves are present in huge numbers in North African countries particularly Libya, Tunisia and Morocco and I together with friends and members of my family are witness to that.
Turtle doves migrating northwards from their sub-saharan wintering grounds amass themselves in huge numbers on the North African shores waiting for favourable weather conditions to cross the Mediterranean. It is a known fact that for the past two decades or so, more and more turtle doves are becoming sedentary in North Africa.
The urbanisation of what was before an arid desert country and the availability of water and suitable nesting sites have all contributed to this phenomenon. Notwithstanding all this, several thousands still cross the Mediterranean bound for the European mainland, a minimal percentage of which migrate, not breed, over the Maltese islands.
Here, I will reiterate my point, that the taking of a few thousand doves in spring will never have an effect on the species' population. However, Mr Aquilina St John and others of his ilk seem to be oblivious of these facts and blurt out only what they deem to be convenient.
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Clint Pisani
May 2nd 2008, 20:33
Dear Mr. Flynn,
Having a look at the book 'L-ghasafar ta' Malta' (Birds of Malta) written by Joe Sultana which is one of the most recent books that has been published regarding birds in Malta, I could not find anything that tells that this species has ever bred in Malta. Moreover the description of its nesting sites is 'hole in tree or wall'. This description is also given in the book 'Birds of Britain and Europe' by the RSPB. No rockfaces mentioned! Regarding the crested dove are you talking about Malta or Australia because it is not even listed in both books mentioned earlier.
William P Flynn
May 2nd 2008, 00:03
First of all, hoopoe most certainly nests in Malta. I remember 40 odd yeras ago, as a teenager, I came upon a nest whilst climbing a rockface in Malta.
Second I apologize for my mistake in misnaming one of the many wild doves that breeds at my place which is the Crested Pigeon - Ocyphaps lophotes. Perhaps one of you gentlemen would tell me its name in Maltese.
As far as water and food, these birds survive Australian severe droughts and seem to be able to survive very well. Plant trees and they will soon find a balance.
One thing they won't survive is a shotgun blast and lead poisoning.
Fabian Borg
Apr 30th 2008, 22:27
Dear RCZ,
Your comment is understood but nobody can deny the fact that Wintering doves in Libya might choose to migrate to Europe when the summer in Libya becomes a bit too hot.
I do not know what your experience on the subject is and admire your lines of thought but one must keep in mind that Turtle Doves also vary in size and as the elderly used to say the May passages are often consisting of birds which are larger and presumably come from a different country (cousins maybe). The phenomenon of Nesting doves in Libya is not something very old as these have chosn to stick there as conditions tend to be favourable in these last decades. Migratory instincts of birds are thousands of years old and these are not just ignored over some generations. With a flourishing colony in Libya and possible vision of other cousin migrants at this time of year coupled by harsher conditions in African Summers will induce African born doves to migrate North when the time is right and rediscover their origins.
Richard Cachia Zammit
Apr 30th 2008, 18:27
David and all, I together with a few others, have already mentioned this but seems as if I need to mention it again. The Turtle Doves in North Africa and those breeding in Europe are two different populations. Various species of birds adopt this survival strategy where you have a sedentary population and another migratory. This is a natural contingence plan for the species, just in case one of the populations faces a hard time. For the future of the species, it is important that both populations survive. Those that pass over Malta are those that breed in Europe where the Turtle Dove, although still boasts a healthy population, yet has been showing a decline lately. So, just because Turtle Doves in North Africa are numerous, it doesn’t justify killing European Turtle Doves before at least, having the chance to reproduce.
R. Orland
Apr 30th 2008, 14:03
Sometimes, I can't believe what I'm reading with my own eyes....I don't know how persons, such as Mr. Flynn, write on a subject which they don't even know what it concerns....
Is the 'daqquqa' a type of dove? Come on... first of all, does he know what is a turtle dove? its colours or maybe the length? Does he know that the Hoopoe (Daqquqa) has never nested in Malta?
Nyal Xuereb
Apr 30th 2008, 13:36
Mr. Flynn, and from where shall the doves find drinking water? From now till November Malta is dry. Some will breed, but only in a limited number. Malta should add more nature reserves like Simar and Ghadira were water is provided. Only then we will see increasing number of breeding birds.
Joseph Lia
Apr 30th 2008, 11:39
Well written, David! couldn't have put it better myself. I agree with David's well-written facts, knowing David his writing is based on personally witnessed documentation.
Myself, I have researched, documented and experienced bird migration,mainly, over our islands for the past 30 years, out-in-the field both locally and abroad.
I was born a trapper, conservationist and finch enthusiast, Turtledove and Quail Spring migration is intricately woven in our Maltese genes, so much so that an agreement was struck between the EU and the pre-accession negotiating machine to honour and preserve it, back then! Such was the importance of this sociocultural activity that it became a political issue and an extremist-greens crusade. Immediately, the extremist-greens infiltrated all possible nooks and crannies to overhaul and preside over the stakeholders, primarily the hunters representatives. After succeeding in doing so, a vicious campaign of half truths, mis-intrepretations and mud-slinging gathered momentum aimed at the public's mis-informed opinion. Incidentally, the EU has been gearing itself towards a pre-set target date, due in two years time, to limit the destruction of bio-diversity and species conservation amongst its member states. This bio-diversity conservation is being carried out, in full participation, with all the involved parties, namely the European hunting fraternity. The EU's scope is to study and limit three main reasons for this bio-diversity decline, mono-agriculture, habitat decline and land prospecting. Hunting/trapping is/was never the main 'culprit'!
Birdlife(?Malta) and co jumped into the melee of lobbying to spearhead their anti-hunting agenda, at all costs!
Back to David's well placed facts, the 14th of April saw an 'unusual' influx of Turtledoves, from dawn to dusk, 1000+ flocks were recorded factually, while thousands more used their normal flypath and bypassed Malta (as is the norm). To date, Turtledoves have trickled over Malta in double figures, Quails, this year have had a lesser appearance.
This phenomenon happens every decade or two, the hunters/trappers KNOW this, local birdwatchers should KNOW this too! Turtledove population is healthy and of 'least concern' (IUCN 2006) and these two species have been hunted since time immemorial, these are the VERY OBVIOUS FACTS.
Joseph Lia
D.Caruana
Apr 30th 2008, 11:08
Dear Mr Flynn,
A pair or two may breed indeed. But that is it, not more!!
Why would turtle doves want to breed on this rock, littered with bricks and rubble, where human interference is in every possible corner?
think about it, where ever you go there is people!
Another issue would be basic needs, like for instance WATER. remember that the chicks may take up to late JULY to grow and fend for themselves.
So if you were a Turtle Dove, would you choose to raise a family in Malta with extreme heath and lack of water? would you want to fly for two or three miles to maybe find a speck of dirty water? or would you prefer a country further up north with lush grenery and ample water only a feather's throw away???
William P Flynn
Apr 30th 2008, 10:36
Doves will breed on the Maltese Islands if you allow them as will a lot of other birds. Stop hunting for a few years and you will see. Turtle doves in Australia breed everywhere although I have never seen than in nuisance numbers; and this is the sort of country that has seen bird and animal plaques. I guess if turtle doves were going to become one in Australia they've had plenty of time. Hawks are also numerous so I guess there's the balance.
If Libya has a problem with turtle doves after some new irrigation works, it is likely a temporary population explosion and it will settle in a few seasons. Perhaps the Maltese hunters can go and shoot there and help them get the balance quicker; although how you can have any pleasure or satisfaction out of shooting a lovely turtle dove I have no idea. At my home, turtle doves and at least three other types of doves (daqquq I think is one of them) nest and let me come to within 5 metres whilst grazing. I much prefer to observe them than to shoot them.