The hunters federation (FKNK) said today that although spring hunting for turtle dove had been banned for two years, no reports of species breeding in Malta had been made.

And despite the fact that finch capturing in March was banned for the past three years, none of the seven species had been reported as breeding this year.

"The only way that a small viable population of all these species can ever occur on the Maltese Islands, is by implementation of the ‘putting back into the wild', the federation said.

BirdLife Malta earlier this week said several rare bird species were seen breeding for the first time in a long while and almost half of all species increased their distribution this year.

The FKNK said, however, that it had recorded a normal bird spring migration and subsequent breeding on the Maltese Islands.

The only exceptions were the unusual late presence of two cuckoos within the Miżieb Hunting Reserve, although there was no indication of raising a brood by any foster parent, as was the norm with cuckoos.

The FKNK said there was also a small influx of crossbills last July.

"As for successful breeding records regarding non-resident species, which yield a few nests almost annually, the Federation has recorded six pairs of breeding kestrels; three pairs of quails that have fledged chicks; for the fourth year in succession and in the same area four pairs of swallows, two of which with second broods, have fledged off-spring; two pairs of bee-eaters; a pair of peregrine falcons and five pairs of swifts," the federation added.

It said it is kept continuously updated with the status, breeding and quantity of Malta's birds through its network of thousands of members who carry out observations on their hunting lands all over the Maltese Islands throughout the year.